On 31 July, State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi had a phone call with Foreign Minister Nabeela Farida Tunis of Sierra Leone.

Wang said that as good friends sharing weal and woe, China and Sierra Leone always render each other firm support. Back in 2014 when Ebola broke out in West Africa, China was the first to rush in with assistance and fought the virus side by side with African brothers and sisters. In the face of COVID-19, the Chinese and Sierra Leonean people have again supported each other in the spirit of solidarity. The friendship and mutual trust between the two countries has been further consolidated and elevated. With the virus still ravaging the world, the Chinese side will continue to provide urgently needed medical supplies and technical support to and carry out containment and medical cooperation with Sierra Leone. China stands ready to sign an agreement with Sierra Leone as soon as possible to implement the G20 Debt Service Suspension Initiative. China will also take forward cooperation projects to contribute to the reopening and recovery of Sierra Leone's economy. Noting the 50th anniversary of bilateral relations next year, Wang said that the two sides need to work out future cooperation plans and take bilateral ties to new heights.

Wang pointed out that in a world of growing uncertainties under the impact of the coronavirus, acts of unilateralism and bullying sabotage international solidarity, and politicizing COVID-19 serves no one's interests. China will work with African countries, Sierra Leone included, to defend the authority of international law and the UN, uphold international fairness and justice, and safeguard the common interests and legitimate right to development of the developing world.

Tunis expressed heartfelt appreciation for all the help from China over the years and hailed the significance of China's support. Sierra Leone views China as a reliable partner, values the traditional friendship, and always stands firm in support of China's just position. She underscored that the friendship between the two countries wins the hearts and minds of the two peoples, and the strong cooperation will stand the test of any challenge. In recent years, the two countries have carried out fruitful cooperation and actively fulfilled what has been agreed upon. All this demonstrates the high level of the bilateral relations. Sierra Leone will harness the 50th anniversary of diplomatic ties to deepen wide-ranging exchange and cooperation with China and achieve new milestones in the bilateral relationship.

The two sides also exchanged views on regional and international issues of mutual interest.