On September 3, 2018, opening day of Beijing Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC), CECEP Chairman Liu Dashan met with visiting Sierra Leonean President Julius Maada Bio and his wife Fatima Maada Bio at the company headquarters. They had discussions on cooperation in water conservation and agricultural infrastructures in the African country.
Liu expressed on behalf of CECEP welcome to the visiting president and gratitude for his and his government's support for the company's operation in his country. Liu went on to give the president a brief introduction of CECEP: the company is the only central SOE in China with the core business in energy conservation and environmental protection. It owns 500-plus subsidiaries whose business covers 107 countries and regions around the world, ranging from energy conservation, environmental protection, and clean energy to public health, project contracting, design and manufacturing of energy-saving and environmental protection equipment, and construction. The group is China's largest conglomerate in the energy conservation and environmental protection industry and boasts the broadest business coverage and unparalleled overall strength.
CECEP's China Geo-Engineering Corporation is one of the first Chinese companies undertaking project contracting overseas. With more than 30 years' presence in the African market, it has gained rich experience on overseas operation, and built a team of technical excellence, solidarity and dedication. Liu said that CECEP will give full support to China Geo-Engineering Corporation's pragmatic cooperation with African countries including Sierra Leon in the fields of infrastructure, agriculture and water supply on the basis of equality, mutual benefit and common development to achieve win-win results.
President Julius Maada Bio thanked CECEP for the warm welcome, and said that friendship between the two countries has a long history and is going from strength to strength. Over the years, many Chinese companies including CECEP and its subsidiary China Geo-Engineering Corporation have participated in the development of Sierra Leon, and made significant contributions to its economic and social progress. His visit to CECEP headquarters during the FOCAC Beijing Summit, which was part of his state visit to China, gave full expression to the importance Sierra Leon attaches to and the sincerity it feels toward its cooperation with CECEP, the president said. Since taking office, his administration has put great emphasis on projects concerning the people's livelihood, and worked toward the goal of relieving all Sierra Leoneans from poverty and starvation. He hopes to maintain cooperation with and get support from CECEP including China Geo-Engineering Corporation in the sectors of agricultural infrastructure and water supply. In order to achieve sustainable development and secure a beautiful future for following generations, Sierra Leon pays close attention to energy and environmental protection industries. His government will do its best to provide various support for CECEP's investment in the country, he added. The president also expressed hopes that the two sides will maintain their cooperative ties and bring their projects to greater success on the basis of mutual benefit and win-win cooperation.
Accompanying the president in the visit were Chief Minister David J. Francis, Minister of Finance Jacob Jusu Saffa, Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Alie Kabba, Minister of Agriculture and Forestry Joseph Ndanema, Minister of Planning and Economic Development Nabeela F. Tunis, Minister of Trade and Industry Peter Bayuku Konteh, Minister of Information and Communications Mohamed Swarray, and Sierra Leonean Ambassador to China Ernest Mbaimba Ndomahina. Also present were Chinese Ambassador to Sierra Leon Wu Peng, CECEP Deputy CEO Chen Shuguang and other leaders of the group and China Geo-Engineering Corporation.
