Chinese President Xi Jinping has congratulated Guinea’s junta chief on his presidential election victory, state media reported Monday, a day after the African country’s supreme court validated his landslide result.
Mamady Doumbouya was credited with 86.72 percent of votes cast in the December 28 poll that excluded opposition heavyweights from the ballot.
Xi sent a “congratulatory message” to Doumbouya on Sunday, state news agency Xinhua reported.
The Chinese leader said that Beijing and Conakry “have long upheld mutual respect, equality and mutual benefit”, Xinhua reported.
“Xi also said that he attaches great importance to the development of China-Guinea relations and stands ready to work with Doumbouya to further develop the two countries’ comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership,” Xinhua said.
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The impoverished West African nation of more than 14 million people — ruled by Doumbouya since a 2021 coup — is home to vast deposits of key minerals.
It is a major global supplier of bauxite, a type of rock that is rich in aluminium.
Of the 105 billion yuan ($15.1 billion) in bauxite and related aluminium ores China imported from January through November of last year, 76 percent came from Guinea, according to data published by Beijing’s customs administration.
Additionally, Chinese companies are involved in Guinea’s large-scale Simandou mining project, which is expected to transform the country into one of the world’s largest iron ore exporters.
AFP
