1．From 1974 to 1995: Establishment and suspension of diplomatic ties

　　China-Gambia friendship dates back to the 1960s when the people and government of China supported The Gambia’s struggle for independence. On 14 December 1974, China and The Gambia established diplomatic relations.

　　China and The Gambia nurtured deep friendship by supporting each other on each other’s core interests and major concerns after the establishment of diplomatic ties. Sir Dawda Kairaba Jawara, the first President of The Gambia, ever paid four state visits to China from 1975 until 1991.

　　With joint efforts,practical cooperation between the two countries bore rich fruits. Even though China was still very poor at that time, the Chinese government rendered The Gambia selfless help within the framework of South-South cooperation. Chinese doctors, agricultural experts, engineers and technicians arrived in The Gambia continuously and provided aid to the Gambian people.

　　For instance, in August 1976, China signed the Protocol of the Government of the People's Republic of China and the Government of the Republic of Gambia on Sending Chinese Medical Teams to Work in Gambia with the Gambia. From October 1977 to March 1995, China sent more than 200 medical personnel to The Gambia. President Adama Barrow ever talked to the Chinese Ambassador about his unforgettable memory of Chinese doctors treating him when he was a child. Even until now, local elderly people in Bansan still tells affectionate stories of Chinese doctors who rescued and gave medication to the patients.

　　In the 1970s and 1980s, Chinese agricultural experts stood up to the scorching sun and went down the farmland teaching The Gambian farmers rice planting techniques. A lot of government buildings were built by China aid. It is particularly worth mentioning that the National Independence Stadium of The Gambia, which still stands bright and tall today, was aided by China in the 1980s. It is still the only comprehensive sports facility in the country and a monument of friendship between the two countries.

　　However, the Gambian Government went so far as to resume the so-called “diplomatic relations” with the Taiwan authorities on 13 July 1995. Therefore,China had to suspend the diplomatic relations with The Gambia on July 25, 1995.

　　2．Resumption of diplomatic relations

　　On 14 November 2013, The Gambian Government announced the severance of the so-called “diplomatic relations” with the Taiwan authorities. On 18 November 2013, the Taiwan authorities severed the so-called “diplomatic relations” with The Gambia. On 17 March 2016, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi and Gambian Foreign Minister MacDouall-Gaye signed The Joint Communiqué on the Resumption of Diplomatic Relations between the People’s Republic of China and the Islamic Republic of Gambia in Beijing. China and Gambia resumed diplomatic relations.

　　To promote and strengthen the friendly and cooperative relations between the two countries, the Joint Communiqué regulates that “The Government of the People’s Republic of China supports the efforts of the Islamic Republic of Gambia to safeguard national sovereignty and develop the economy. The government of the Islamic Republic of Gambia recognizes that there is only one China in the world, the government of the People’s Republic of China is the sole legal government representing the whole of China, and Taiwan is an inalienable part of Chinese territory. The Government of the Islamic Republic of the Gambia promises not to have any official relations or official contacts with Taiwan. The Government of the People’s Republic of China appreciates the above-mentioned position of the Government of the Islamic Republic of Gambia”.

　　3．High-level exchanges

　　Relations between the two countries have been moving forward steadily and smoothly. Since 2016, there have been frequent high-level exchanges between the two countries.

　　On 2 December 2016, Chinese President Xi Jinping sent a congratulatory message to Mr. Adama Barrow, president-elect of The Gambia. On 18 February 2017, at the invitation of President Adama Barrow, Ma Peihua, Vice Chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference, attended the inauguration ceremony of President Barrow in Banjul as the special envoy of President Xi Jinping.

　　In December 2017, at the invitation of President Xi Jinping, President Barrow paid a state visit to China. This was the first visit to China by The Gambian head of state since the resumption of diplomatic relations. During the visit, President Xi Jinping held a welcome ceremony and a welcoming banquet for President Adama Barrow. The two leaders reached important consensus on many issues during the bilateral talks. In September 2018, President Adama Barrow led a delegation to China and attended the Beijing Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation. The Gambia was warmly welcomed as a new member of the big FOCAC family. President Xi Jinping met with President Adama Barrow.

　　In July 2017, at the invitation of Chinese Foreign Affairs Minister Wang Yi, Gambian Foreign Minister Ousainou Darboe paid an official visit to China. The two sides established ministerial consultation mechanism.

　　Exchanges between the legislatures of the two countries are an important part of the relations between the two countries. In September 2017, at the invitation of Zhang Dejiang, Chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress, Mariam Jack Denton, Speaker of the National Assembly of the Gambia,visited China. The National People’s Congress of China and the National Assembly of Gambia have made joint contributions to deepening the friendly and cooperative relations between the two countries. China-Gambia bilateral friendship groups were also established in the legislatures of the two countries.

　　On January 5, 2019, Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi paid a successful visit to The Gambia. The purpose of this visit is to implement the consensus reached between President Xi Jinping and President Adama Barrow and the outcomes of the Beijing Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation. During the visit, Wang Yi met and held talks with President Adama Barrow and Foreign Minister Mamadou Tangara respectively. The two sides reviewed the fruitful achievements in the development of bilateral relations since the resumption of diplomatic ties more than two years ago and looked forward to the bright prospect of future cooperation. Wang Yi's visit is the first by a Chinese foreign minister to The Gambia.

　　4．Chinese ambassadors to The Gambia since 2016

　　(1) H.E. Ambassador Zhang Jiming arrived in 2016. On August 23, H.E. Mr. Zhang Jiming met with Gambia Foreign Minister MacDouall-Gaye and presented her with a copy of his credentials. On September 1, H.E. Mr. Zhang Jiming presented his credentials at the Presidential Palace to Gambian Vice President Isatou Njie-Saidy, who was temporarily performing her duties as president. Ambassador Zhang Jiming completed his tour of duty in The Gambia and was recalled to China in October 2018.

　　(2) H.E. Ambassador Ma Jianchun arrived in Banjul in 2018. On November 12, H.E. Mr. Ma Jianchun presented a copy of his credentials to The Gambian Foreign Minister Mamadou Tangara. On November 13, H.E. Ambassador Ma Jianchun presented his credentials to President Adama Barrow.