By Amin Kef Sesay
Voice of Friendship, a widely circulated Chinese Magazine, in celebrating the Communist Party of China (CPC) 100 years anniversary, featured Mariatu Kargbo, who is a Sierra Leonean philanthropist, artist and cultural Ambassador to China and Africa. Popularly known as Maria the Black Pearl of China she is the President of the Chinese People’s Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries.
A photo, which was taken during a presentation made by Maria, who is the founder of the Sierra Leone China Friendship Association (SiLCHA), on behalf of the Association and the youths of Sierra Leone on April 15 2021 to President Lin Songtian, was to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Sierra Leone and China.
The feature photo is to showcase the friendship of China across the globe. Other countries across the globe were featured in the magazine but Sierra Leone was more prominent on the cover of the magazine.
Sierra Leone-China Friendship Association carefully produced souvenirs that integrate the traditional cultural elements of the two countries.
Maria, on behalf of the Serbia-China Friendship Association, made a special trip to the Friendship Association to convey it to Lin Songtian at the Chinese People’s Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries.
Maria thanked the Chinese People’s Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries for its long-term unremitting efforts to promote friendly and mutually beneficial cooperation between Sierra Leone and China, and expressed her willingness to take the CPC 100 years anniversary and the 50 anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries as an opportunity to actively promote youth exchanges between Africa and China, and promote the language and culture of Africa and China.
Exchanges have made new and greater contributions to the promotion of friendship and mutual understanding between the people of Serra Leone, China and Africa.
She thanked the Chinese Foreign Ministry, the Chinese Embassy in Freetown and the Government and people of Sierra Leone for establishing good diplomatic ties between the two countries.
She promised to continue in make the friendship grow from strength to strength.
