President Xi separately pledged another $280 million aid to African countries split evenly between military and food assistance.
The pledge of US$140 million military aid is the largest China has earmarked for this purpose at the three-yearly forum on China-Africa cooperation, signaling the increased importance of Security in the relationship between Beijing and its partners.
Mr President, China’s support is both timely and crucial, especially as The Gambia is in need of such economic and military assistance. The country's economic challenges are significant and they vary, and these include the need to enhance agriculture, improve road infrastructure, expand electricity access, and strengthen the health and education sectors. This support could play a vital role in addressing these pressing issues.
Mr President, as regards security, having advance military aid would help greatly, since areas like training, equipment and other essential logistics could be taken care of to improve our security, especially given the fact that The Gambia is within the Sahelian region threatened by the jihadists.
Mr President, the China support, as President Xi declared, can benefit several sectors in your government, which include infrastructure, trade, and security, as well as create jobs for the people.
This support is also needed by The Gambia to bolster economic growth and national development particularly for the youth, who risk their lives to venture into illegal migration to Europe leading to the death of thousands of our young ones.
Mr President, this support is an opportunity The Gambia should seize, as China greatly values its partnership with Africa to maintain a win-win situation in trade cooperation.
Additionally, with Beijing's push to significantly expand green technology, The Gambia could benefit from aligning its development goals with China's initiatives in this sector.
Finally, Mr President, The Gambia needs to strengthen its agricultural sector, particularly in rice cultivation and production, an area where China can provide substantial support. Leveraging China's expertise and resources in modern agricultural techniques could significantly enhance The Gambia's rice production capacity and overall food security.
Good day!