Guinea - China Relations

Guinea experienced a military coup 05 September 2021. Lieutenant-Colonel Mamady Doumbouya, with an elite segment of troops, has overthrown the government of Alpha Conde and seized power, a move that has been condemned bythe US State Department, the European Union, the African Union and China, with the latter demanding that the president be released. Beijing’s relationship with Guinea is of immense strategic importance.

It is a key exporter of the metal required to make aluminium – bauxite – as well as having plentiful iron ore reserves. It also has mineral resources, including cement, salt, graphite, limestone, manganese, nickel, and uranium. The government’s website boasts how it has one of the world's largest reserves of iron ore – and not only is it large in quantity, but it’s of a high-grade quality, too, consisting of 65% metal. Most of this sits within a controversial mine known as the Simandou, over which global mining magnates – including that of China – have for years wrestled for a stake and share in the spoils.

First of all, unfettered access to these metals is needed to propel China's manufacturing and industries. Secondly, those same materials are needed to build up the country’s ever-growing military and naval capacities. Thirdly, Guinea provides an alternative source for these resources, allowing China to reduce its reliance on supplies from ‘hostile’ nations such as Australia, which continues to profit from commodity exports to Beijing despite broader trade disputes between the two. China’s iron ore imports from Australia hit record levels in auguest 2021, despite its other sanctions over the country.

China was one of the first countries in the world to recognize Guinea's independence, and Guinea is the first country in sub-Saharan Africa to establish diplomatic relations with me. President Seguro Toure was the first African head of state to visit China, and Premier Chou En-lai visited Guinea when he visited African countries at the beginning of 1964.

Since the establishment of diplomatic relations in 1959, the relations between the two countries have always been healthy and stable. The successive governments attach great importance to relations with China and adhere to the one-China principle for a long time. A few in the international arena with my mutual support, in close cooperation.

The incumbent President Alfa Kande has been attending the Summer Davos Forum in China since 2011. He went to South Africa to attend the breakfast meeting of President Xi Jinping and African leaders in 2013 and is looking forward to the further development of China's cooperation with China.

Chinese Vice Premier (1964), Vice Premier and Foreign Minister (1964), Vice Premier Geng Biao (1978), Vice Premier and Foreign Minister Huang Hua (1981), Qian Qichen State Councilor (1995), Vice Foreign Minister Tang Jiaxuan (1998), Vice Chairman of the CPPCC National Committee Chen Jinhua (1995), Vice Premier Huang Ju (2005), Special Envoy of President Hu Jintao, Minister of Land and Resources Xu Shaoshi (2008) Vice Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi (2011), Governor of Henan Province Guo Gengmao (2012) and so on.

Several of the visits to China were: President Dürr (1960 and 1980), President Lansana Conte (1988 and 1996), Prime Minister Sidi Mei (2000), President of the Economic and Social Council (In July 2008), Prime Minister Suvare (August 2008 to attend the opening ceremony of the Beijing Olympic Games), the President of the International Committee of the People's Republic of China, President Alfa Kondai (Visiting Davos World Economic Forum in China in 2011 and visiting China).

Several mutually beneficial cooperation began in 1985. As of September 2014, I have a total of $ 2.20 billion in direct investment in non-financial sectors. China have signed a $ 964 million contract with a new contract for $ 412 million and a total of $ 2.514 billion in service contracts. $ 1,977 million. The two companies have made great progress in the construction of the infrastructure projects such as hydropower stations, power transmission and transformation networks, telecommunication networks, port shipping and municipal roads and bridges, and the construction progress and quality have been well received. Investment projects in an orderly manner, I grasp the opportunity to agriculture, fisheries, aquaculture, trade and other traditional investment projects continue to develop on the basis of positive real estate, hotels and other markets.

Despite China's reputation for involvement in unstable economies with unsavory governments in Africa, it seems that the Chinese had little interest in pursuing further investment in Guinea. By 2010 China's interest in Guinea was primarily economic with significant investment in the following sectors: energy, mining, agriculture, infrastructure, community development, and health. Some projects represent development assistance as they are generally done as "gifts" to the people of Guinea, meaning that Chinese companies and workers are used to build the project, but the project is then gifted to the Guinean Government upon completion. Other projects represent direct investment by Chinese companies.

The Chinese Government trained a battalion of Guinean "Ranger" soldiers in 2001, and provided periodic military training since then. On the security front, the Chinese Government donated motorcycles to Guinean police in the past, and promised to provide communication equipment.

In 2009 China Investment Holding Company and Sino-Angolan Sonangol signed an agreement to invest nearly $2.2 billion USD (nearly half of annual GDP of Guinea) in public infrastructure. According to the CNDD, these two companies agreed to invest in water infrastructure, power generation, public housing, public transport (including construction of a subway), a fishing port, agriculture, and tourism. Several sources said that the actual agreement was for an amount well below the official $2.2 billion USD and, in fact, was worth much closer to $78 million USD.

Obsedrvers believed that the goals of the proposed investment plan, focused on finance for major infrastructure projects, would be impossible in Guinea. The suggested $215 million USD for an entire new transportation system in Conakry is almost laughable, as is the proposed $178 million USD to rework the major power generation plants for the capital city.

Nearly every prospective Chinese investor that came to explore possibilities in Guinea ultimately decided to invest their money elsewhere. Chinese businesses had immense possibilities in Guinea's import market, as inexpensive Chinese goods are popular in low-income countries. However, when it came to large capital investment in the country itself, the interest is not evident. Without any transport infrastructure or any semblance of rule of law or individual accountability to the government, the investment climate is just too unattractive and problematic.