--Says Ambassador, As He Visits the INQUIRER

 

The Ambassador of the People's Republic of China accredited near this capital, Zhou Yuxiao has expressed optimism about Liberia's post war recovery program.

 

Ambassador Zhou has also reiterated his country's commitment to fostering the process leading to Liberia's reconstruction and economic recovery.

 

The Chinese Diplomat was speaking yesterday when he paid a courtesy visit to the offices of the INQUIRER in a bid to acquaint himself with the paper since he took up assignment in the country.

 

The Chinese envoy said every relationship must be based on benefit, understanding, political equality and what he called "win-win cooperation".

 

Ambassador Zhou said this is what he is in Liberia to do in enhancing the already cordial relationship subsisting between Liberia and China.

 

He said the bilateral cooperation between the two countries is cordial evidence of this being the exchange of visits between the Presidents of the two countries in 2006 and April of last year.

 

The Chinese Diplomat said the bilateral cooperation between China and Liberia aimed at fostering Liberia's reconstruction process is strong especially in the areas of education, health, agriculture and capacity building. He said through the capacity building effort, China is helping in training Liberians in China and in Liberia.

 

He reiterated China's assistance to the Booker Washington Institute in the area of agriculture and the John F. Kennedy Memorial Medical Center with doctors.

 

On the training of agricultural experts, Ambassador Zhou said China is about to build an Agriculture Demonstration Center in the country where people would be trained to produce food. "It would be used as a commercial farm for three years and later left to sustain itself by producing agricultural products and selling them to sustain the center," he said.

 

Ambassador Zhou told the INQUIRER staff and the paper's Managing Editor, Philip Wesseh, that China is willing to share her developmental experience with Liberia to stimulate Liberia's reconstruction process.

 

He said China believes that every relationship must be based on Mutual benefit, understanding, political equality, and hat he called "win-win cooperation".

 

He said to seek for the security of one group of people is not a good thing, thus China seeks to ensure the security for every country, saying "our manner of carrying out friendship is our protector. Friendship must be made not with mouth but in deeds."

 

He said while he is going to be encouraging bilateral cooperation and assistance to Liberia, his office would equally being private Chinese investors to invest and revive the Liberian economy.

 

"I would also urge Chinese investors to use their profits on the people and I am asking you (the INQUIRER) to keep a watchful eye on what we are doing here. Tell us when we go wrong. Don't always tell us good things," he added.

 

Ambassador Zhou said his government is spending US$20M on the University of Liberia's Fendell campus, US$23M for the Buchanan-Monrovia Road project and have already spent US$10M for the renovation of the S.K.Doe Sports Complex.

 

"We are also building high schools in Monrovia and other parts of the country but we are willing to share our experience," he said.

 

Earlier, Ambassador Zhou lauded the INQUIRER for being a prestigious paper in the country and extended gratitude to the paper for its cooperation with the Chinese Embassy in the country.

 

Ambassador Zhou underscored the crucial role the media plays in the development of a country, saying, "We need the media because we can not reach all of the people to explain our country's policy but the media can help."

 

In response, INQUIRER's Managing Editor, Philip N.Wesseh, lauded the Chinese Government for opportunities afforded to media practitioners who traveled to China for different programs. "I also benefited from such program, " Mr. Wesseh said.

 

Mr. Wesseh commended the Chinese Government for this assistance to Liberia over the years and urged them to take the country's tourism and agricultural programs seriously. He said as a result of his visit to China, he is convinced that the Chinese have the expertise to help this country in self-sufficiency in food production and tourism.

 

The INQUIRER boss stated that he was impressed and also happy about the Chinese philosophy that, "it is better to teach people how to fish than to give them fish." He then extolled the mutual relationship between China and Liberia.

 

Source: The INQUIRER Newspaper