While the years of conflict chipped away at the country’s regional influence and international diplomatic ties, today Côte d’Ivoire is a crucial member of the regional security infrastructure, notably in opposing the threat of extremism in the Sahel. Beyond its traditionally amicable relationship with France and the US, Côte d’Ivoire increasingly developed its relationships with other countries, including China, India, the UK and Nigeria. China became the country’s top supplier and among the top three partners in terms of trade volume with bilateral trade increasing from $1.4bn in 2014 to $8.9bn in 2016 according to Souleymane Diarrassouba, the minister of trade and industry and small and medium-sized enterprise promotion.