China–São Tomé and Príncipe relations refers to the

diplomatic relations Diplomacy comprises spoken or written communication by representatives of states (such as leaders and diplomats) intended to influence events in the international system.Ronald Peter Barston, ''Modern diplomacy'', Pearson Education, 2006, p. 1 ...

between the

People's Republic of China China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. It is the world's most populous country, with a population exceeding 1.4 billion, slightly ahead of India. China spans the equivalent of five time zones and ...

and São Tomé and Príncipe. Both nations are members of the

United Nations The United Nations (UN) is an intergovernmental organization whose stated purposes are to maintain international peace and security, develop friendly relations among nations, achieve international cooperation, and be a centre for harmoniz ...

History

In 1997, São Tomé and Príncipe established diplomatic relations with the Republic of China. However, in 2013, the

established a trade office in São Tomé and Príncipe, and the next year President

Manuel Pinto da Costa Manuel Pinto da Costa (born 5 August 1937) is a Santomean economist and politician who served as the first president of São Tomé and Príncipe from 1975 to 1991. He again served as president from 2011 to 2016. Life and career Educated in Eas ...

visited China in a private capacity. Bilateral relations between São Tomé and Príncipe and Taiwan were terminated on 21 December 2016. On December 26, 2017, São Tomé and Príncipe re-established diplomatic relations with China, and a Chinese embassy was opened in the capital in April 2017. Beijing moved swiftly to provide substantial aid to the archipelago previously provided by Taiwan. In January 2017, the two nations signed a 5-year co‑operation agreement prioritizing areas including tourism, infrastructure, technology, agriculture and fisheries, student scholarships and medical assistance. The Economist reports that Chinese leader "

Xi Jinping Xi Jinping ( ; ; ; born 15 June 1953) is a Chinese politician who has served as the general secretary of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) and chairman of the Central Military Commission (CMC), and thus as the paramount leader of China, ...

declared that China was ready to expand co‑operation to maritime security to combat piracy and transnational organised crime." Sao Tome leader Trovoada confirmed that Chinese aid would include grants, direct budget support and a cancellation of US$17.3 million in bilateral debt. On April 25, 2017, Mr Trovoada disclosed that China would also provide São Tomé with a grant of US$146m for infrastructure projects such as the modernisation of São Tomé International Airport and the construction of a deep‑sea container port, which could serve as a logistic hub for Chinese exports to Central Africa. In February 2020, China's commitment to infrastructure development in São Tomé and Príncipe reached new heights as they promised to fund the expansion of São Tomé and Príncipe's international airport. The project is estimated to cost roughly US$31 million.

References

São Tomé and Príncipe São Tomé and Príncipe Bilateral relations of São Tomé and Príncipe {{Bilateralrelations-stub

History

See also

References