Relationship dossier
People's Republic of China
The Gambia
Relationship assessment
Restored diplomatic ties have supported development cooperation, though the breadth of the partnership is unclear.
People's Republic of China toward The Gambia
+35China restored diplomatic relations with The Gambia in 2016 and has pursued bilateral development and economic cooperation, including providing assistance. The scale and implementation of particular projects are unclear.
The Gambia toward People's Republic of China
+35The Gambian government ended recognition of Taiwan in 2013 and restored diplomatic relations with China in 2016. It has pursued bilateral economic and development cooperation with the Chinese government.
Overall relationship
+35The relationship shifted from a period without diplomatic ties to renewed cooperation after The Gambia changed its recognition from Taiwan to the People’s Republic of China. Subsequent development and economic cooperation provides a substantive basis for the partnership, while its overall breadth and implementation remain unclear.
How to read these scores
Scores are rough judgments, not objective measurements or current verification. Directional scores describe government policy and conduct, not public opinion. The overall score is an independent estimate, never an average.
- −100
- Extreme sustained hostility
- −50
- Substantially adversarial
- 0
- Mixed or neutral, supported by knowledge
- +50
- Substantially cooperative
- +100
- Exceptionally close sustained partnership
“Not assessed” means there is no recorded score. Pair existence makes no claim about diplomatic recognition or established relations.
Relationship context
Overview
China and The Gambia restored diplomatic relations in 2016 after The Gambia ended its recognition of Taiwan. Since then, the governments have pursued bilateral development and economic cooperation, including agreements and Chinese assistance. The relationship reflects substantive but not especially close cooperation; the scope and implementation of specific projects are unclear.
Areas of tension
- The Gambia’s previous recognition of Taiwan was a source of disagreement with China before diplomatic relations were restored.
Key developments
China and The Gambia restored diplomatic relations after The Gambia ended its recognition of Taiwan.
Major uncertainties
- The scope and implementation of bilateral development and economic agreements are unclear.
- The extent of current cooperation beyond development assistance is uncertain.