State House, Banjul, 5th September, 2018 – The Chairman of the Chinese Railway Construction Company (CRCC) Mr Chen Fenjian has told President Adama Barrow that The Gambia could tap into the opportunities provided by the Forum for China Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) to build roads and bridges in the country. He made the remarks on Wednesday morning when the President visited the premises of the Chinese Railway Construction Company (CRCC) in Beijing, where he was shown an exhibition of the company's various projects in construction, and investments in industries. He was also exposed to the specific infrastructural projects of the company in Africa, particularly construction of roads, bridges and railways. The China-Africa friendship is strengthened with the building of the infrastructural development needs of the people to drive social and economic growth. While appreciating what he described as a genuine partnership between The Gambia and China, President Barrow said the two countries would focus on energy and road construction as priorities. He assured chairman Fenjian of the political will of his government to continue to partner with CRCC. Speaking earlier, Chairman Chen Fenjian, introduced his company and gave a trajectory of projects carried out during its fifty years’ existence. “Since the re-connection of Chinese ties with The Gambia, CRCC has reached out to The Gambia, signed an MoU and completed preliminary study on Mandinary-Abuko road. We have also signed an MoU with the Ministry of Energy” he said. Mr. Fenjian said his company would follow the spirit of President Jinping’s statement and pledged to work with The Gambia. He added that the China -Gambia relations is at a strategic point and gave assurance of his commitment to working with financiers to realise some of the eight major initiatives stated in the China-Africa cooperation, in particular, to contribute to Gambia-China cooperation.