Marking a significant milestone in economic collaboration, the fifth Chinese Chamber of Commerce in Sierra Leone was formally inaugurated in Freetown this week, signaling deepening Chinese business engagement in the country. The chamber, comprised of 17 Chinese firms operating in Sierra Leone, aims to promote bilateral trade, enhance investment flows and foster closer business and cultural links between the two nations.
At the inauguration ceremony, held on the premises of the Sierra Leone Ministry of Trade and Industry, Chinese Ambassador to Sierra Leone Wang Qing announced that Chinese investment in Sierra Leone now exceeds the US $2 billion mark. He underscored Beijing’s commitment to supporting Sierra Leone’s industrial diversification and the broader agenda of mutually beneficial cooperation.
Meanwhile, Sierra Leone’s Minister of Trade and Industry, Ibrahim Alpha Sesay, expressed the government’s readiness to facilitate Chinese enterprises wishing to invest in sectors such as food productivity, power development, manufacturing and tourism. “We are ready to facilitate trade and investment for Chinese companies from registration to operations,” he declared.
Vice-President Mohamed Juldeh Jalloh described the launch as ushering in “a new era of trade development and investment between Sierra Leone and China,” calling on the chamber to build strong networks with local business associations and play a leading role in driving Sino-Sierra Leonean economic cooperation.
The establishment of the new chamber comes against the backdrop of expanding economic relations between the two countries. China and Sierra Leone have enjoyed diplomatic relations since 1971 and elevated their ties in 2016 to a comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership.
Trade between the nations has grown significantly in recent years: bilateral trade reached US $1.63 billion in 2023, representing a nearly 24% increase year-on-year. Chinese exports to Sierra Leone primarily include mechanical and electrical goods, while Sierra Leone exports timber, minerals and increasingly seafood and agricultural products under the China-Africa cooperation framework.
Infrastructure cooperation between Freetown and Beijing has also featured notably in recent years. Chinese-funded projects such as the Youyi Building, the National Stadium renovation, the China-Sierra Leone Friendship Road, and the development of the China-Sierra Leone Friendship Hospital reflect deep-rooted ties and joint investment in social and economic infrastructure.
The new chamber is well-positioned to catalyse further Sino-Sierra Leonean collaboration beyond large infrastructure. It is expected to facilitate small and medium-sized Chinese enterprises entering Sierra Leone’s market, enhance local value-chain development, and promote cultural and people-to-people exchanges. As Du Xinguo, president of the chamber, stated at the launch, the focus will extend to compliance, collective strength and creating win-win development.
Analysts observe that this development fits within a broader pattern of China’s evolving role in Africa – one which prioritises diversified cooperation including trade liberalisation, industrial investment and business-led growth rather than solely state-led infrastructure projects. For Sierra Leone, the chamber could become a bridge to foster deeper engagement, job creation and technology transfer in a country seeking to expand opportunities in industry, agriculture and services.
If the chamber achieves its ambitions, it will contribute significantly to sustaining Sierra Leone’s development trajectory and showcase the maturity of the China-Africa economic partnership, moving beyond transactional projects toward institutionalised business connectivity, shared value and enduring commercial ecosystems.
