Editor's note: Decision Makers is a global platform for decision makers to share their insights on events shaping today's world. Adjagba Sebabe Tchabode is the Charge d'Affaires ad interim for the Togo Embassy in China. The article is an edited version based on an interview with the author. The article reflects the author's opinions and not necessarily the views of CGTN.

This year marks the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the Togolese Republic and the People's Republic of China. I have visited China for several times. For any visitor who knows its recent history, China's development has been spectacular, thanks to the genius of the Chinese, thanks to their amazing work and thanks to the outstanding vision of their leaders.

I would like to share with our readers the wonderful relations during the past 50 years between Togo and China. The bilateral ties have evolved over time and I would like to bow to the memory of the great leaders who served as the architects of the diplomatic relations — founder of the People's Republic of China Mao Zedong and former President of Togo Eyadema Gnassingbe.

While under the impetus of successive Togolese and Chinese leaders, our two great nations have built high-quality bilateral relations, marked by mutual understanding, solidarity, alongside a convergence of views between our two current heads of state, presidents Faure Essozimna Gnassingbe and Chinese President Xi Jinping.

Since assuming office last May, it is an honor for me to arrive in China at such a special moment and I will embark on this opportunity to strengthen Sino-Togolese relations. The potential future projects for China and Togo are enormous and we must act on deepening cooperation in economic, cultural and many other fields.

I visited China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region a few weeks ago, during which our delegation toured Kashgar, Aksu and Urumqi. We observed that different ethnic groups live in peace and security while they enjoy the freedom of religion. We even attended prayers with a few Muslim groups. This trip was truly important for our entire delegation.

We saw with our own eyes that the beliefs and customs of the Xinjiang locals are fully respected. We visited mosques, the Islamic Institute of Xinjiang, residences, historical sites and also met with Uygur families. We observed a very united and close-knit, hard-working people and did not see any differences or conflicts among the tribes. We spoke with families where people of several ethnic groups lived together, which allowed us to say that it's a population that lives in harmony and solidarity.

Regarding poverty reductions in this region, we visited agricultural farms, cotton processing factories, and understood that it is the people who work for the development of the region and who fight to preserve peace and remove the specter of poverty.

China remains committed to building a community with a shared future for mankind with other countries in the world, with public health serving a great aspect to it. Since the emergence of COVID-19, Beijing has respected its pledges to produce vaccines for the global public good and doing its utmost to ensure accessibility and affordability of the vaccines in developing countries. Last year, Beijing donated several anti-epidemic materials to Togo, as well as two batches of Sinovac vaccines.

I would like to extend our sincere appreciation to the Chinese government, which at the height of the crisis, offered doses of vaccines to our nation. These doses of vaccines have allowed the Togolese to maintain their health and avoid the horrendous impact of the COVID-19. I was interested because it's the Chinese vaccine I could get when I was in Togo. I took two doses of the vaccine and offered my gratitude to the Chinese government.

Regarding our expectations for future medical and health cooperation between the two countries, we know Beijing, which has always helped African countries, could work closely with African countries to produce the vaccine on site and this could help fight the disease more effectively.

Sino-Togolese cooperation has played a crucial role combating the COVID-19 pandemic. The Togolese government has worked strenuously to eradicate COVID-19 and to ensure the health security of all Togolese.

Togo launched a new national development plan in 2019 and the following year a 2020-2025 roadmap for development. For its part, Beijing has fully implemented its new development model, to accelerate the development of new infrastructures, deepening reform and opening up, as well as promoting high-quality development.

Togo is a developing country with a dynamic economy, which offers great possibilities of cooperation in a wide variety of fields. We can cite agriculture, trade, industry and in all these areas, Chinese companies have proven highly competent. We have Chinese hospitals, a sugar refinery and agricultural company in our nation. Togo wants further cooperation in a wide variety of areas with China including renewable energies, infrastructure, and tourism.

Togo's national development plan stands committed to improving the livelihoods of the population, in particular by granting substantial subsidies to poor families while increasing the quality of public services in our rural areas.

Last year, China won the victory over extreme poverty, which proves that the methods used by Beijing are effective. The Togolese government has a plan to strengthen Sino-Togolese cooperation, so our President Faure Gnassingbe has vowed to fight against poverty as a personal mission and we believe that Sino-Togolese cooperation would make for exceptional contributions to the fight against poverty.

During his opening speech at the 8th Ministerial Conference of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation, President Xi put forward a four-point proposal for building a China-Africa community with a shared future in the new era.

China has become in a few years one of the favorite partners of African countries. Through the Dakar decisions, China and African countries stand well aware on the impact of these decisions over their respective economies. The nine programs resulting from the Dakar conference reaffirm the ambitions displayed by China and African countries. For Togo and for most African countries, if these programs get implemented with a win-win spirit, alongside an effective monitoring mechanism, this can play a positive role on all African economies for now and the future.

With the 20th CPC National Congress to be held this year, our expectations are many and varied. We hope to strengthen relations between the Communist Party of China and the Togolese Party "UNIR" for the happiness of the Chinese and Togolese people. We believe that this strengthening can be done through many more visits and exchanges of views between senior officials of the two parties.

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