As part of an exploratory mission initiated by the Senegalese Embassy in China, the city of Guédiawaye hosted a business delegation from the city of Shehong, People's Republic of China, on Friday, April 11, 2025. This official visit was organized by the Africa, Russia & Eurasia Chamber of Commerce and Investment (ARE CCI), at the request of the Chinese authorities, who were keen to identify a partner municipality in Senegal for a future twinning arrangement.
Led by a representative of the Africa Russia Eurasia CCI, the delegation included fourteen Chinese leaders from key sectors such as construction, medical consumables, agribusiness, and the textile industry. The meeting with local elected officials from Guédiawaye resulted in constructive discussions, paving the way for promising institutional and economic cooperation between the two cities.
Led by a representative of the Africa Russia Eurasia CCI, the delegation included fourteen Chinese leaders from key sectors such as construction, medical consumables, agribusiness, and the textile industry. The meeting with local elected officials from Guédiawaye resulted in constructive discussions, paving the way for promising institutional and economic cooperation between the two cities.
In a highly symbolic gesture, the representative of Shehong presented an official letter from the city's mayor, Mr. Wang Neng, to his Senegalese counterpart, Mr. Ahmed Aidara, expressing the desire to establish a lasting partnership through a twinning arrangement and inviting him to pay an official visit to Shehong. The meeting was also punctuated by the exchange of formal gifts, in a spirit of mutual respect and cultural rapprochement.
The municipality of Guédiawaye took this opportunity to showcase several ongoing development projects, including the construction of a shopping center, the development of seaside sports facilities, and the construction of a municipal theater. This last project particularly attracted the interest of the members of the Chinese delegation, attracted by its cultural and economic potential. Monitoring in cooperation with the Chamber of Commerce and Industry will be carried out to ensure the project's smooth running.
The meeting concluded with the Mayor of Guédiawaye presenting gifts to the Mayor of Shehong and to each member of the delegation. This first official meeting marks an important step in the bilateral rapprochement between China and Senegal at the local level, and opens up concrete prospects for cooperation between Shehong and Guédiawaye.
