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H.E.
President Alhaji Dr. Ahmad Tejan Kabbah |
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Chinese
Trade Delegation Ends Visit To Sierra Leone
By Yusuf Alghali
 17
November, 2003: Following in the heels of
the Chinese Assistant Minister of Foreign Affairs,
Mr. Lu Gouzeng who visited Freetown last week,
two separate groups of Chinese business representatives,
headed by Director General Zhao Gouqian of the
Henan Province Economic Cooperation Bureau,
left Sierra Leone Sunday after concluding negotiations
and reaching agreement with government on a
range of business investment opportunities.
According to Trade and Industry Minister, Dr.
Kadi Sesay, who led the twenty-man Chinese team
to the Hill Station Lodge, one group has  expressed
profound interest in developing the former National
Workshop site at Cline Town into an industrial
processing zone, while the other explored potential
investment opportunities with Sierra Leonean
business partners.
Chinese Ambassador Fan Guijin, who accompanied
the delegation, described their visit as a "big
success emerging from a lot of hard work"
on the part of Sierra Leone's embassy in the
People's Republic of China. However, in emphasizing
the need for a speedy follow up, the envoy noted
that the public was watching
and waiting to see some worthy development taking
place at the Cline Town workshop after the recent
expulsion of squatters from the site.
President
Kabbah also re-echoed the need for the process
to be expedited. In an address to the visiting
team, the President urged that things "move
very quickly" so that by the time the team
returns to Sierra Leone, they would have had
their minds focused on what specific things
they would like to do.
 However,
he expressed the hope that business activities
being considered would aid Sierra Leone's policy
of import substitution. "Instead of bringing
in every finished product that you need, you
can produce them here, penetrate the regional
market, generate foreign exchange and create
jobs for the unemployed," President Kabbah
told members of the Chinese team, who are expected
back in Freetown shortly.
-End-
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