Liberia

Note: This column mainly includes countries along the Belt and Road and countries that have signed cooperation agreements with China on Belt and Road Initiative.

The friendly relations and cooperation between the People's Republic of China and the Republic of Liberia enjoyed sound and all-round growth in 2013.

The two countries had frequent political exchanges. In March, Liberian President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf sent a congratulatory letter to Xi Jinping on his election as Chinese President. In April and July, President Sirleaf sent letters and messages of sympathy to President Xi Jinping for the earthquakes in Lushan, Sichuan Province and Gansu Province and the flood in Sichuan Province. In May, Huang Xianyao, member of the Standing Committee of the CPC Guangdong Provincial Committee and Secretary of its Discipline Inspection Commission, led a CPC friendship delegation to visit Liberia. In October, Ambassador Zhong Jianhua, Special Representative of the Chinese Government on African Affairs, visited Liberia. In August, Liberian Finance Minister Amara Konneh visited China.

Notable progress was made in business ties as well as people-topeople, cultural and military exchanges between the two countries. In June, Liberian Assistant Minister of Culture Louise McMillian came to China to attend the First Meeting on Chinese and African Cultural Industries. In July, the project of Bang Iron Mines in Liberia undertaken by Wuhan Iron and Steel (Group) Corporation was put into operation. In August, Liberian Minister of Health and Social Welfare Walter T. Gwenigale led a delegation to China to attend the Ministerial Forum on China-Africa Health Development. In September, China, for the first time, sent a 140-strong riot squad to Liberia for the UN peacekeeping operation.