Chinese Ambassador Zhou Yuxiao met with Ms. Ellen Margrethe Loj, the newly-arrived Special Representative of the Secretary General (SRSG) and head of the United Nations Mission in Liberia (UNMIL) in the Chinese Embassy on Wednesday, Jan. 23, 2008.

Amb. Zhou expressed his warm welcome to Ms. Loj and pledged to her his full support. UNMIL has played a significant role in Liberia's peace and stability, said Amb. Zhou. He also briefed the new UNMIL SRSG on China's contribution to UNMIL and the current Sino-Liberian relations.

Ms. Loj expressed her appreciation to China for its support to UN peacekeeping operations in Liberia. She briefed the Ambassador on the progress of peacekeeping in Liberia and reiterated that UNMIL will not take a hasty withdrawal. Instead, it is gradually reducing its forces according to the capacity building process of the Liberian security forces. She expressed her hope that the existing cordial working relations between UNMIL and the Chinese Embassy could be further strengthened through joint efforts from both sides.