President Adama Barrow Thursday (2 June) conferred an honorary award to the outgoing Chinese Ambassador to The Gambia Ma Jianchun.

In a statement State House said Ambassador Ma was conferred the Grand Officer of the Order of The Republic of The Gambia award “for his exemplary service to The Gambia”. 

Ambassador Ma took up his post in The Gambia in 2018 and during his four year tenure, he has overseen the growth of relations between The Gambia and China. 

“During this period the two countries collaborated on several fronts including health, infrastructure, and agriculture. He also played a pivotal role in the building of the people to people relations between the two countries.

“In his acceptance speech, Ambassador Ma said the award signifies the strength and importance of the relationship between the two countries. He said the award will serve as encouragement for him and his embassy staff to build on the relations between The Gambia and The People’s Republic of China,” the statement added.