Sierra Leone leader’s visit to China shines a light on Xi Jinping’s challenge to the West

Sierra Leone is a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council, representing the interests of African countries, while China is a permanent member of the council with veto power. Africa has long argued that the present global governance system disproportionately favours the West.

“China has always regarded the development of solidarity and cooperation with African countries as an important cornerstone of its foreign policy,” Xi was quoted as saying in a statement released after the talks.

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Gyude Moore, a senior policy fellow at the Washington-based Centre for Global Development and a former minister in Liberia, said Africa’s leverage was significantly more political than economic – voting with China at the UN and other international forums.

“President Xi gave a speech in which he communicated China’s intent to be a voice for developing countries. It is thus important to have the support of those countries to lend that voice legitimacy,” Moore said of China’s increased efforts to court countries in the Global South, which are developing nations mostly in Africa, South America and Southeast Asia.

Xi and Bio agreed that reform of the UN Security Council should support developing countries, including those in Africa, “to play a greater role, expand their representation and voice in the Security Council, and correct the historical injustice suffered by Africa”.

The African Union has been pushing for reform of the international system for decades, in line with the 2005 Ezulwini Consensus and the 2005 Sirte Declaration which call for, among other things, two permanent seats on the Security Council for Africa and an expansion of non-permanent seats to five, with the members to be decided by the continent.

According to David Shinn, a professor at George Washington University’s Elliott School of International Affairs, Bio is the first African head of state to visit China this year, “probably marking the revival of increased high visits by African leaders to China in the post-Covid era”.

China is also Sierra Leone’s largest trading partner.

Chinese President Xi Jinping and Sierra Leone President Julius Maada Bio pledged to work together to further African interests at the UN Security Council. Photo: Xinhua

Shinn said Bio supported China’s “core” interests, and during the visit the leaders agreed to deepen their comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership.

“The visit underscores Xi Jinping’s goal to become the leader of the Global South. On the other hand, China made only modest new financial commitments for Sierra Leone,” Shinn said.

During the talks, Xi promised that Beijing would continue to bankroll the construction of Sierra Leone’s infrastructure and allow more products from the West African nation to enter the Chinese market.

He said China “will provide assistance and support within its capacity” to develop Sierra Leone’s agriculture, infrastructure construction and human resources.

Beijing will further encourage Chinese enterprises to invest in the nation and start businesses there. Xi also said China would “deepen mutually beneficial cooperation in mining, fishery, vocational and technical education and related infrastructure construction”.

Sierra Leone would also be invited to take part in the China International Import Expo and “actively support more Sierra Leone products to enter the Chinese market”, Xi said.

Meanwhile, Bio agreed to improve the business environment and provide good conditions for Chinese companies to operate in his country.

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Bio, whose five-day state visit ends on Saturday, described China as “a friend that Sierra Leone trusts and relies on”.

He also said he appreciated China’s strong support for his country’s economic and social development.

Bio added Sierra Leone was willing to learn from China’s experience, strengthen cooperation on the Belt and Road Initiative, and expand infrastructure construction, trade and education.

“We look forward to leveraging strategic opportunities for the benefit of our two countries,” he said, adding that relations with China had flourished, encompassing various areas, including trade, infrastructure development, education, mining and healthcare.

During his trip, Bio has also talked with Zhao Leji, chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress, and Premier Li Qiang. He also made a speech at the Sierra Leone Investment Forum in Beijing, inviting Chinese investors into the West African nation, as he spruiked its abundant natural resources.

Moore of the Centre for Global Development said the economic slowdown in China carried serious risks for African economies.

“China is Sierra Leone’s largest trade partner, so securing Chinese investment and retaining China as a market is important for the Sierra Leonean economy,” Moore said. “The obverse is not true; Africa as a whole comprises a single-digit percentage of total Chinese trade.”

Bio also met with Zhao Leji, chairman of the National People’s Congress Standing Committee, during his visit to Beijing. Photo: Xinhua

Chinese business interests in Sierra Leone include mining, ports and fishing.

Chinese firm Leone Rock Metal Group, for example, last year broke ground on a 12 million tonne iron ore processing plant through its local subsidiary Kingho Mining Company.

It is investing US$230 million to build a mineral beneficiation plant for the second phase of its expansion strategy at the Tonkolili mine, which has an estimated 13.7 billion tonnes of iron ore.

Leone Rock Metal Group is also upgrading the railway and port infrastructure in the coastal town of Pepel, where bulk iron ore is shipped from, at a cost of US$153 million. According to the Chinese firm, the works will improve the haulage capacity of the rail line and the operational capacity of the port to ensure it attains an annual material handling capacity of 20 million tonnes.

The firm has since signed a lease agreement with the Sierra Leonean government to operate the rail and port facilities.

China is also funding the building of a US$55 million industrial fishing harbour in Sierra Leone. But conservationists and landowners have criticised the project as “a catastrophic human and ecological disaster” that would destroy pristine rainforest, plunder fish stocks and pollute fish breeding grounds and marine ecosystems.

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John Calabrese, a senior fellow at the Middle East Institute in Washington, said Sierra Leone was minerals-rich but has a very impoverished and fragile economy.

“I know that China has invested in the extractive and agricultural sectors, and that Chinese companies have built roads and other infrastructure,” Calabrese said.

There was also a sizeable Chinese community in Sierra Leone capital Freetown, he said.

“President Bio is probably in Beijing looking for an infusion of new investment and loan cancellation or at least debt rescheduling,” Calabrese said. Meanwhile he said Xi would make new pledges for Sierra Leone “to generate goodwill and build political influence”.

After their talks, Xi and Bio witnessed the signing of bilateral cooperation documents regarding the Belt and Road Initiative, agriculture, economic development, and the implementation of global development initiatives.

South China Morning Post