-As China Commits to “High-quality Development” in 2026
By Jerromie S. Walters
Monrovia – China’s Ambassador to Liberia Yin Chengwu has laid out the nation’s ambitious vision for 2026, framing it as a year of new beginnings—not only for China’s domestic development but for its strategic partnerships across the globe and, most importantly, with Liberia and Africa.
Ambassador Chengwu spoke at the Chinese New Year reception at the Golden Gate Hotel in Paynesville on Friday, February 13, 2026. Chinese Ambassador to Liberia His Excellency Yin Chengwu marked the occasion by highlighting three pivotal milestones that will define the year ahead, with a strong emphasis on shared prosperity and cooperation.
The Ambassador highlighted the key achievements in China’s economic and social development, as well as the progress of China-Liberia bilateral relations, throughout 2025. He announced that 2026 marks the official start of China’s 15th Five-Year Plan. Following the successful conclusion of the 14th Five-Year Plan in 2025—a year in which China’s GDP surpassed RMB 140 trillion with a 5% growth rate—the new plan signals a continued commitment to high-quality development.
“China will continue to pursue high-quality development, actively promote high-standard opening-up in all respects, advance common prosperity for all Chinese people, and open a new chapter in the China miracle,” Ambassador Yin stated. He emphasized that this domestic progress will have a profound global impact, stating that China aims to “inject stronger impetus into global openness and cooperation
Chengwu: “The year 2026 marks the 70th anniversary of the start of diplomatic relations between China and Africa. One month ago, at the turn of the New Year, China’s Foreign Minister Wang Yi once again visited Africa. For 36 consecutive years, Africa has been the first overseas destination of China’s foreign minister at the start of the New Year. This reflects a heartfelt inheritance of China-Africa friendship and a strong signal of China and Africa joining hands to move towards the building of the all-weather China-Africa community with a shared future for the new era.”
He assured that China will continue to serve as an engine of global economic growth and is also willing to act as a catalyst for Africa’s development and revitalization.
“Against this backdrop, China will earnestly implement the important consensus reached by the two heads of state, strengthen the alignment between China’s 15th Five-Year Plan and Liberia’s ARREST Agenda. We hope this will deliver more tangible benefits and lift the China–Liberia strategic partnership to new heights,” he said. Moreover, the Ambassador noted that the year 2026 marks the China-Africa Year of People-to-People Exchanges, as it was jointly agreed upon by President Xi Jinping and African leaders during the Beijing Summit of the FOCAC in 2024.
“During the recent visit, FM Wang Yi and African leaders launched the China-Africa Year of People-to-People Exchanges, President Xi sent a congratulatory letter to the launching ceremony. It is announced that there will be about 600 activities between China and Africa in the whole year. The amicable ties between the two peoples serve as the bedrock for the growth of China-Africa relations.” In addition to this, he disclosed that China will work with Liberia to carry out a series of activities, so as to further enhance friendship between our two peoples.
In a tribute to a friendship that has helped reshape Liberia’s urban landscape, Vice President Jeremiah Kpan Koung declared that the relationship with China is not merely diplomatic, but a powerful alliance built on shared aspirations for prosperity and progress.
Speaking on behalf of President Joseph Nyuma Boakai, Sr., and the Liberian people, Vice President Koung painted a picture of a partnership rooted in mutual respect and tangible results. He addressed a distinguished audience that included the Chinese Ambassador, the Speaker of the House, Cabinet members, the Diplomatic Corps, and the local Chinese community.
“With utmost respect and uncommon joy, I join you this evening to celebrate the Chinese New Year; a season that symbolizes renewal, unity, hope, and prosperity,” Mr. Koung began, setting a tone of deep admiration for the cultural significance of the occasion.
But the Vice President quickly pivoted from cultural celebration to strategic reflection. He framed China’s own transformative journey as a beacon of possibility for nations like Liberia.
“I believe that China’s evolution into a global economic powerhouse is one of the most defining stories of our time,” he stated. “Through strategic planning, innovation, investment in human capital, and an unwavering commitment to development, China has lifted hundreds of millions of its people out of poverty.”
This narrative of national transformation, he suggested, is where the two nations’ stories converge. Mr. Koung emphasized that Liberia views China not just as a donor, but as a developmental partner whose experience offers invaluable lessons.
He illustrated this point by highlighting the most visible symbol of their cooperation currently rising in Monrovia. “With the ongoing construction of Liberia’s first modern overhead bridge along the Tubman Boulevard,” the Vice President noted, “China has once again demonstrated the enduring symbols of friendship, cooperation, and shared progress.” The bridge, he implied, is more than concrete and steel; it is a monument to a partnership that is literally building Liberia’s future.
Beyond infrastructure, Mr. Koung expressed profound gratitude for China’s investment in Liberia’s human capital. “By investing in the education of our students [through scholarships and capacity-building programs], China is indeed investing in Liberia’s future,” he said, acknowledging a contribution that aims to empower generations to come.
He reassured guests, including the Chinese Ambassador, of Liberia’s unwavering commitment to the One-China policy and its desire to deepen ties across multiple sectors.!”Let it be known that Liberia remains fully committed to strengthening and sustaining its diplomatic and economic partnership with the People’s Republic of China,” he declared. “We believe there is even greater potential ahead in the areas of trade, agriculture, energy, infrastructure, technology transfer, and people-to-people exchange.”
From his end, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Richard Nagbe Koon, praised the deep and longstanding partnership between the Republic of Liberia and the People’s Republic of China. Speaker Koon highlighted the global resonance of the Lunar New Year, noting its formal recognition by the United Nations. “Mr. Ambassador, I thank you for this invitation. It is significant to note that in 2023, the 78th Session of the United Nations General Assembly unanimously adopted a resolution officially recognizing the Lunar New Year as a UN floating holiday,” he stated
The Speaker reflected on the formal diplomatic relations between the two nations, established on February 17, 1977, and cataloged the tangible benefits of this nearly five-decade-long friendship. He revealed that since the year 2000, Liberia has been the recipient of over 68 Chinese official development finance projects, making a substantial impact across key sectors.
“China’s partnership with Liberia is etched in the very landscape of our development,” Speaker Koon said, citing landmark infrastructure projects as enduring symbols of this cooperation. He pointed specifically to the Ministerial Complex, the two annexes of the Capitol Building, and the ongoing construction of overpass bridges in Monrovia as testaments to China’s commitment to Liberia’s modernization.
He further detailed China’s crucial role in human capital and social development, including the renovation of the University of Liberia’s Engineering Department and a US$10 million contract for a 100-bed hospital in Nimba County. Speaker Koon also recalled China’s invaluable assistance during the 2014-2016 Ebola outbreak, when medical personnel from the People’s Liberation Army worked side-by-side with Liberian health workers.
Looking ahead, Speaker Koon disclosed ongoing diplomatic engagements with Beijing to secure support for the restoration of the Capitol Building’s Rotunda and other sections severely damaged by a fire on December 18, 2024. He also acknowledged China’s consistent support for Liberian students through scholarship programs and the promotion of cultural exchange through Chinese language courses established by the Embassy in 2009. “China has been a valued and reliable partner to the Government and people of Liberia,” Speaker Koon affirmed.
