Ambassador Li Liansheng and his wife take a photo with Isaias Afewerki, President of Eritrea

As the youngest African country until the independence of South Sudan in 2011, Eritrea has a history of no longer than two decades. Today, the name of Eritrea is still unfamiliar to most Chinese. But during his three years of work as Chinese Ambassador to Eritrea, Li Liansheng saw close ties between the two countries, both in the past and in the future.

Li defines Eritrea as "a unique country." Although it is very far from China, there is a connection between the pasts of Eritrea and China.

According to Li, Isaias Afewerki, President of Eritrea, visited China in the 1960s. At the time, he was sent to study by the Eritrean People's Liberation Front (EPLF), predecessor of the People's Front for Democracy and Justice, which fought successfully for the independence of Eritrea. This half-year of study enabled him to have a deep understanding of China's history of revolution, andallow him draw from Chinese experience to address domestic problems.

Solid friendship

When Li assumed the position of ambassador at the end of 2009, Eritrea was in urgent need of a $60-million loan to invest in Besha, a gold mining project in cooperation with a Canadian company.

"Eritrean officials were very anxious, because it was the first gold mining project since the founding of the country, and the whole society had great expectations of it," Li said. It was a tough but important task to get loan at the time. Without the money, Eritrea's share in the venture would have decreased from 40 percent to only 10 percent.

When the Minister of Economy reached out to the Chinese Embassy for help, Li immediately reported to the Chinese Government, but he knew things would be difficult. "According to the policies of Chinese financial institutions, the loan was impossible because there was no Chinese company or Chinese investment involved."

Li investigated and talked to experts, collecting as much information as possible to prove it was a worthy investment. Having studied the material he sent back, the Export-Import Bank of China agreed on a $60-million loan to Eritrea. When the project was fully funded, it soon came to fruition. The 40-percent share brought Eritrea a profit of $1 million each day.

"It was a turning point," Li said. Since then, economic cooperation between the two countries has surged, especially in the mining industry, where Western companies used to be major investors.  

"Eritrea is on the eve of a booming economy, and the development of the mining industry will promote the whole economy," said Li.  

This friendship also became the solid base for a trade boom. Last year, Eritrea imported mechanical equipment totaling $100 million from China.  

"Eritrea has gone through the toughest time," said Li. "China has also been down the same path. All of these problems will be solved as the country develops."

Two "ambassadors"

When it comes to cultural exchange, Li would like to attribute achievements to his wife Lou Xiangqing, who used to be a diplomat as well. When she came to Eritrea, she learned many traditional Eritrean songs. Her excellent performance shined on the stages of many diplomatic events; this closeness in culture forged a friendship built on applause and cheers. A Western diplomat called it "music diplomacy."

"First, it's because I love music," said Lou. "And I think I know how to engage in cultural diplomacy."

In Eritrea, she took every chance to promote cultural exchange through book fairs and Chinese movies, which all incited a passion for Chinese culture in the country. The films about the post-war soldier issue and the lives of children in Chinese rural areas were especially relevant for the Eritrean people.

"She did a better job than I did," Li laughed. "We both believe that attitude is important in diplomatic work. You can choose to stay in the office, or to reach people to communicate and build trust."

Their friendship with the president's family has enabled Li and Lou see the virtues of Eritrean people. "Eritreans have a strong sense of self-esteem and always abide by their promises," said Li, impressed by the simple life and modest attitude of the president. "I made friends with many locals. Now I'm not the ambassador any more, but I hope to do my best to promote relations between China and Eritrea."