The President of the Republic, His Excellency Paul BIYA continued his State visit to the People’s Republic of China on Friday 23 March 2018, after his high-level meeting with President Xi JINPING at the Great Hall of the People yesterday. The Head of State met with China’s top legislator, the Head of Government and some Chinese business persons.
H.E. Paul BIYA had another opportunity to review the friendly, rich and fruitful Sino-Cameroon relations with Mr. Li Zhanshu – Chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress (NPC), and Prime Minister Li Keqiang. The Chinese leaders, who were re-elected a fortnight ago, lauded President Paul BIYA for being the first foreign head of state to pay a visit to China after the renewal of the country’s political leadership (also the first African leader since the beginning of the year). Cameroon’s leadership in Africa was also highlighted, especially on issues related to security and governance. Thus, the Chinese government pledged to cancel part of Cameroon’s debt.
On his part, President Paul BIYA noted that China is a long-term partner to Cameroon – in its quest for emergence. He expressed his satisfaction for China’s support in the fight against terrorism and its many achievements for the development of Cameroon. The Head of State appealed for the consolidation of the strategic partnership that exist between Cameroon and China.
H.E. Paul BIYA later paid a visit at an International Center for Bamboo and Rattan in Beijing. Chinese expertise in the transformation of bamboo and rattan can inspire interested persons in Cameroon; where the processing of these products is still at the artisanal stage. The Cameroonian leader was a special guest at the Huawei exhibition centre in Beijing. The tech giant is Cameroon’s partner through CAMTEL (Cameroon Telecommunications). The Head of State also went to the headquarters of StarTimes – a Chinese multinational media company, which is championing the rehabilitation of CRTV.
The three-day State visit ends on Saturday 24 March 2018 with a stopover in Shanghai.
