During bilateral talks with Chinese Vice Premier Ding Xuexiang at the Xijiao State Guest Hotel in Shanghai—held on the margins of the Ninth China International Import Expo (CIIE)—Vice President Koung signaled a strategic pivot in Liberia's trade stance with Beijing: moving away from the simple extraction of raw commodities toward domestic value addition.
"Our objective is to create jobs, develop Liberian skills, and retain more value within our economy," Koung stated, urging Chinese firms to invest in Liberia's Special Economic Zones, particularly within rubber processing, cocoa refinement, and light manufacturing.
While welcoming Beijing’s zero-tariff policy on Liberian exports, Koung highlighted that domestic producers still require technical support to meet rigorous import standards and access buyers in China’s lucrative domestic market. Addressing Liberia's core industrial bottleneck, the Vice President also solicited targeted capital and technical partnership for off-grid solar energy, battery storage, and hydropower expansion.
In response, Vice Premier Ding reaffirmed Beijing’s commitment to President Joseph N. Boakai’s development priorities, disclosing that Chinese technical teams will soon deploy to Monrovia to conduct technical assessments for broadcasting infrastructure and the renovation of the Capitol Building. Ding further cited mining, infrastructure, and agricultural technical assistance as primary vectors for expanded cooperation, while Vice President Koung proposed establishing designated bilateral focal points to track progress on high-priority infrastructure and investment projects.
