September 13, 2018
By Joseph S. Margai in Beijing
President Xi (right) and Ambassador Ernest Mbaimba Ndomahina during their meeting on Monday
Sierra Leone’s ambassador to the People’s Republic of China, H.E. Ernest Mbaimba Ndomahina, Monday, 10th September, 2018, presented his credentials to Chinese President Xi Jinping at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing.
The momentous occasion, which started with Chinese President Xi sending an executive car to pick up the Sierra Leonean ambassador, was graced by officials from both the Chinese government and the Embassy of the Republic of Sierra Leone in Beijing.
The national flag of Sierra Leone – green, white and blue – was for the first time placed in front of the executive car with police escort leading the way.
A special lane was reserved on the busy street of Beijing as the ambassador’s convoy rode smoothly to Tiananmen Square, where the Great Hall of the People is situated, to meet President Xi.
He was all alone in the executive car with the other officials from the embassy using the embassy’s official cars.
Upon Ambassador Ndomahina’s arrival at the Great Hall of the People, he was greeted with a salute from the military, dressed in ceremonial military costumes.
After the salute, the sound of the trumpet rented the air and the ambassador and Chinese president shook hands for the first time.
Ambassador Ndomahina was part of eight (8) ambassadors that were received and welcomed by President Xi on that same day.
President Xi stressed that China attaches great importance to developing relations with the countries and regions of the ambassadors, and was willing to further enhance political mutual trust, deepen pragmatic cooperation and people-to-people exchanges and strengthen coordination and cooperation in international affairs.
“We hope you will play a role as a bridge to make positive contributions to enhancing China’s friendship with the people of your countries or regions and promote mutually beneficial cooperation,” President Xi said.
Ambassador Ndomahina conveyed greetings from Sierra Leone’s President Bio to the Chinese president, saying that he was willing to deepen Sierra Leone’s 47 years of bilateral ties with China.
He thanked President Xi for successfully hosting the 2018 Beijing Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) summit.
Speaking to Concord Times after presenting his credentials to President Xi, which automatically makes him one of the recognised ambassadors in China, Ambassador Ndomahina expressed his appreciation to the almighty God for another height in his life and to H.E. Retired Brigadier Julius Maada Bio for bestowing confidence in him.
“It was really a momentous occasion for me. It was an honour for me to be picked up by an executive vehicle from the embassy’s premises, with a police escort, to meet the president of this great nation, President Xi,” he said.
Ambassador Ndomahina has already begun making his mark in China. He has been meeting with potential investors who have expressed wiliness to invest in Sierra Leone.
Currently, he has also embarked on getting details of all Sierra Leoneans living in China in order to tackle the problem of foreigners who are holders of Sierra Leonean passport and committing crimes in the name of the “peaceful” country.