Nation to deepen Liberian cooperation

China is willing to deepen pragmatic cooperation with Liberia and help it to develop and reduce poverty, Premier Li Keqiang said when meeting with Liberian President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf in Beijing on Thursday.

The fields in which the two countries can deepen their cooperation include energy, processing of lumber and agricultural produce, infrastructure and human resources, Li said.

China will continue to support countries including Liberia in their reconstruction work as Ebola has begun to subside, and is willing to provide help within its ability for Liberia's socioeconomic development as well as the country's work in strengthening its public health system, he said.

Sirleaf expressed her appreciation, saying that China was the first to provide assistance to Liberia when it was suffering from the Ebola outbreak, and China's assistance evoked attention and help from the international society.

She said the Liberian government attaches great importance to its relations with China, and hopes to work with China to implement projects in which the two countries cooperate, as her country is in a critical stage of reconstruction and development.

She said she hopes the two countries will strengthen cooperation in mining, fishery and processing of lumber and agricultural produce, and hopes that the cooperation between the two will become a leading example of African-Chinese cooperation.

Sirleaf is the 24th president of Liberia and the first elected female head of state in Africa. She used to work for the World Bank and the United Nations Development Programme, and was one of three to win the Nobel Peace Prize in 2011.

wangqingyun@chinadaily.com.cn