The Inquirer
Monrovia, Liberia

Distributed by

The Perspective
Atlanta, Georgia

Posted January 20, 2004

A prominent member of the United Nations has vowed to continue efforts that would promote the peace process in the country. The People’s Republic of China says it will play an active role to promote peace in Liberia at the United Nations level and will not in the too distant future dispatch a record of 600 strong peace-keeping force to participate in UNMIL.

Disclosing this when the Chinese government officially declared its embassy opened in Monrovia, Liberia, Chinese Charge d’ Affairs Mr. He Meng said his country along with other members of the International Community will provide assistance to Liberia in the areas of education, health, among others.

Addressing several distinguished personalities at the Chinese embassy in Congo Town, during the official opening ceremony, Mr. Meng said his country is willing to share its experience, capital and technology with Liberia in the areas of energy development, infrastructure, agriculture, manufacturing among others.

The Chinese envoy assured Liberians that his government will encourage Chinese businessmen to come and invest in Liberia as well as develop cooperation of mutual benefit with their Liberian counterparts.

According to Mr. Meng, his country intends to develop cooperation with Liberia in human resource development under the framework of the China-Africa Cooperation Forum so as to train more professionals urgently needed for Liberia’s socio-economic development.

He added that his government is looking forward to the early reopening of the Liberian Embassy in Beijing and expressed the hope that the two embassies would then serve as a powerful engines for the growth of the relationship between the two countries.

For his part, transitional government Vice Chairman Wesley Momo Johnson who represented the government at the occasion, expressed joy over the re-establishment of relations between China and Liberia. Vice Chairman Johnson said plans were on the way to re-open the Liberia’s embassy in Beijing as a way of fostering and cementing the relationship between the two countries.

He urged Liberians to follow the examples of China which was an undeveloped country, but has risen to now become a world power and an economically prosperous nation.