Chinese President Xi Jinping today received Senegalese Prime Minister Ousmane Sonko in Beijing on the sidelines of the Davos Summer Forum.
During their meeting, the two leaders reaffirmed their commitment to deepening the China-Senegal comprehensive strategic partnership, emphasizing a South-South cooperation dynamic.
Prime Minister Sonko’s official visit to China included his participation in the Davos Summer Forum. The meeting at the Great Hall of the People on Friday, June 27, 2025, follows the Beijing Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) held last September, which was co-chaired by President Xi Jinping and Senegalese President Bassirou Diomaye Faye.
President Xi Jinping highlighted the ongoing strengthening of China-Africa ties and pledged to further deepen cooperation with Senegal. “China and Senegal are fellow travelers and good brothers in development and revitalization,” Xinhua quoted the Chinese leader as saying. He stressed the importance of implementing the Ten Actions for China-Africa Partnership, encouraging investment in new energy and digital sectors, and promoting cultural exchanges in anticipation of the China-Africa Year of People-to-People Exchanges in 2026.
Prime Minister Sonko conveyed President Faye’s greetings to President Xi Jinping and reaffirmed Senegal’s unwavering commitment to the One-China principle. He praised the cooperation between the two nations, noting it is built on mutual respect, contrasting it with a “logic of domination.” “Senegal and China share common values of the South, and our partnership is long-standing and solid,” he stated.
Economically, Sino-Senegalese relations are intensifying. According to the Monthly Foreign Trade Bulletin for April 2025 from Senegal’s National Agency of Statistics and Demography (ANSD), China has become Senegal’s leading supplier, accounting for 13.6% of its imports, surpassing France (10.2%) and Nicaragua (7.7%). China also ranks among Senegal’s main export destinations, receiving 10.7% of Senegalese exports, after the Netherlands (17.1%) and Mali (16.2%). However, Senegal’s trade balance with China remains significantly in deficit, recording -34.2 billion CFA francs, a shift from a +4.9 billion surplus in the previous month. Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi was also present at the meeting.
AC/Sf/fss/abj/APA