Five days following President Hu Jintao's state visit to Liberia
on February 1, Liberian President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf on Tuesday
night reassured lasting partnership between the two sides.
The Liberian leader spoke at a reception hosted by the Chinese
Embassy to mark what the embassy described as a fruitful and
successful visit of President Hu.
"Liberia is not asking China for assistance. We want strategic
partnership based on mutual interest, recognizing the complexities
that come out of a period of decline, destruction and violence,"
said President Sirleaf, referring to the country's 14 years of
civil war and more than 20 years of social and political
instability.
"I am convinced that China is prepared to be one of those
strategic partners. The warm welcome Liberians showed towards
President Hu's visit sends a clear message that Liberia is open to
pursue those interests," she said.
"The visit enables us to cement our relationship and from what
we know it will be a lasting friendship," she added. Earlier,
Chinese Ambassador to Liberia Lin Songtian recalled that thousands
of citizens, including students and teachers, friendly
organizations as well as the local community had been mobilized and
gathered along the 65-km route from the airport to downtown
Monrovia from early morning till night to welcome President Hu when
he arrived during the day and bid him farewell in the evening.
President Hu and his delegation "were deeply touched by the
sincere friendship, strong hospitality and rousing welcome extended
by the government and the people of Liberia," Lin said, adding the
Chinese president has got a clear message from the Liberian side of
the great expectation of sustainable peace, national recovery and
development.
The visit by President Hu was no doubt "to strengthen the new
type of strategic partnership between the two countries and the
existing cordial friendship between the two people," Lin said.
The Chinese president had paid a one-day state visit to Liberia
on February 1, as part of his eight-nation African tour.
Seven agreements were signed between the two governments ranging
from economic and trade cooperation to education and health as well
as debt waiver and budgetary support. Liberia and China resumed
diplomatic ties in 2003.
(Xinhua News Agency February 8, 2007)
