By DOH JAMES SONKEY
The three day state visit to the People’s Republic of China by the President of the Republic of Cameroon, Paul Biya that started last March 23, 2018 ended over the weekend with China deciding to cancel part of Cameroon’s debts.
At the invitation of the President of the People’s Republic of China, Xi JINPING, President Paul Biya started his official visit with a high level meeting with his Chinese counterpart at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing. Both Heads of State used the occasion to review what both of them described as friendly, rich and fruitful Sino-Cameroon relations.
While in China, President Paul Biya equally met with the Chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress (NPC), Li Zhanshu and the Prime Minister, Li Keqiang, China’s top legislator and some Chinese business persons.
The Chinese leaders, who were re-elected a fortnight ago, lauded President Paul Biya for being the first foreign Head of State to pay a visit to China after the renewal of the country’s political leadership as well as the first African leader since the beginning of the year.
During the talks, Cameroon’s leadership in Africa was also highlighted, especially on issues related to security and governance.
Talking to his hosts, President Paul Biya noted that China is a long-term partner to Cameroon especially in its quest to become an emergent country by 2035.
Expressing his satisfaction for China’s support in the fight against terrorism and its many achievements for the development of Cameroon, the Head of State appealed for the consolidation of the strategic partnership that exist between Cameroon and China.
On the eve of his last day of state visit to China, President Paul Biya paid a visit at an International Center for Bamboo and Rattan in Beijing where he lauded Chinese expertise in the transformation of bamboo and rattan which can inspire interested persons in Cameroon; where the processing of these products is still at the artisanal stage. He was equally a special guest at the tech giant, Huawei exhibition centre in Beijing whose Cameroon’s partner is CAMTEL (Cameroon Telecommunications). The Head of State also went to the headquarters of StarTimes which is a Chinese multinational media company championing the rehabilitation of CRTV.
President Biya’s state visit ended last 24 March 2018 with a stopover in Shanghai.