The President of the Liberia-China Friendship Organization (LICFO), Siafa G. Sheriff, has underscored that the One China Policy is best for Liberia. Sheriff stated that, in order to further concretize bilateral ties between Liberia and the People’s Republic of China, there is an urgent need for the Government of Liberia (GOL) to see reason in upholding the One China Policy, which aims at benefiting the peoples of the two friendly nations.
The LICFO boss made the utterance when he gave an overview of a project during the formal launching of the Street Theatre Program, organized by LICFO and convened over the weekend at the Peace Island Community, district #10, Montserrado County. It was graced by the Chinese Ambassador accredited to Monrovia, H.E. Yin Chengwu, alongside his entourage.
The Street Theatre Project, according to LICFO’s President Sheriff, is politics-free, intended to showcase the People’s Republic of China’s development programs in Liberia and as well strengthen diplomatic relations between the PRC and Liberia, thereby boosting trade links, development and investment.
He said, to date, China has immensely done well for Liberia in terms of infrastructural development programs, provision of scores of educational scholarships to deserving Liberians to study in Mainland China in varied professional fields of studies, which continues to pay off, thus benefiting the two nations and peoples.
Reflecting on China-Liberia friendship, the LICFO president informed the about 40,000 inhabitants of Peace Island in Oldest Congo Town that bilateral ties between the two nations is dated as far back as 1977, when former President Rev. Dr. William R. Tolbert, Jr. established diplomatic relations with Mainland China, which is now the People’s Republic of China.
He said following the dethroning of President Tolbert in a bloody military coup by some junior officers of the Armed Forces of Liberia (AFL), under the banner of the People’s Redemption Council (PRC), diplomatic relations between China and Liberia was broken.
“It is better to stay with the People’s Republic of China,” President Sheriff observed. “If we were with China since 1977, Liberia would have gone far beyond in terms of multi-investment and infrastructural development, among others.”
He said since the resumption of diplomatic relations between China and Liberia in 2003, there have been lots of development projects undertaken by this friendly nation in Liberia, and there are many more in the pipeline, as thousands of students from here continue to be receive scholarships to study at various universities and colleges in China through student exchange programs.
Reiterating, Sheriff said he and others propagated the message of One China Policy to former presidents Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf and George Mannah Weah and they accepted it. He disclosed that the position has been reaffirmed by President Joseph Boakai. “One China Policy is the best way to go,” he stated.
Turning to the inhabitants of Peace Island community, the LICFO president said this is the first time the organization has brought the Street Theatre to their area, and it is nothing about politicking. “We are here to formally present Ambassador Yin Chengwu to the people of the community,” he noted.
He stated that human resource development is best for any nation, and Liberia is of no exception, as thousands of its citizens continue to benefit from scholarships being provided by the government of the People’s Republic of China.
For his part, Ambassador Yin Chengwu hailed the leaders of LICFO for their outstanding roles exhibited over the years towards promoting friendship between his country and that of Liberia, evident by the official launch of the Street Theatre Program.
The Chinese envoy underscored the importance for diplomatic ties to be cemented with Liberia in order to boost development and trade links, as well as investment opportunities.
He said his country remains a true-partner-in-progress with Liberia under the Presidency of Ambassador Joseph Boakai, and wished the people of Peace Island community well in all their development initiatives for the improvement of their lives.
At the same time, Peace Island Community Youth Leader, Mandella S. Whea, appealed to the Chinese government through its embassy in Liberia to step-up its scholarship program for it to benefit scores of young people in the community who are eager to further their education aboard in order to contribute to the rebuilding process of the nation upon completion of their studies in China.
In brief remarks, Rupel E. Marshall, one-time Montsarrado County Superintendent (in the 1980s) and Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), expressed delight to have been in attendance at the launch of the Street Theatre Program with Chinese Ambassador Yin Chengwu and entourage.
He recalled that during the 1980s the challenges of Liberia were great, and remain great to date because “we concentrated so heavily on the things that were so needed in our country. Liberians remain grateful that China is on our side—to see that hospitals and schools are being built, our minerals are extracted, roads, playground and markets are erected for the benefit of the citizenry”.
He then registered as a full member of LICFO, and pledged to work with the leaders of the organization and the Government of Liberia (GOL) to strengthen the friendship between Liberia and China.