(Photo: CGTN)

Sierra Leone's President Julius Maada Bio is on his first state visit to China and is attending the 2018 Beijing Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) held in Beijing.

The president said his country would like to learn from China's development experience, take part in the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), and enhance bilateral cooperation.

Noting that protectionism and unilateralism have no place in the world, Bio said Africa is willing to work with China and other countries to ensure social progress and economic development.

"We want to be part of the world, and we want to act for benefit of a common destiny, a shared future, in which everybody will enjoy the benefit of economic development," he told CGTN.

China and Sierra Leone have enjoyed a fruitful relationship in the past 47 years. Bio expressed belief that both sides can commit to taking their ties to new heights for the benefit of their people.

Speaking of Western accusations that China is a plunderer, not a partner in Africa, Bio said "my country is not fool."

"We know where we want to take our continent to and various countries do. We are involved in a relationship that is designed to be a win-win relationship. If we did not think it was so, we wouldn't have been involved in that."