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China, Tunisia pledge to boost cooperation in trade, infrastructure

Xinhua, May 14, 2016 Adjust font size:

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said Friday China is ready to strengthen cooperation with Tunisia in such areas as infrastructure and industrial capacity, as well as expand two-way trade and investment.

Wang said this during his official visit to Tunisia, which comes after the 7th ministerial conference of the China-Arab States Cooperation Forum (CASCF) held in Doha, Qatar.

The China-Tunisia relations have been developing smoothly since the two countries established diplomatic ties over 50 years ago, Wang said while meeting with Tunisian President Beji Caid Essebsi.

Wang said China, which follows the principle of no intervention in the domestic affairs of other nations, and has always insisted that all nations, big or small, should be equal, is willing to see and support that Tunisia follows a development path that conforms to its actual situation and is supported by its people.

Tunisia is a member of the Arab League and a major country in North Africa, its cooperation with China has great potential, and China is ready to work with it to explore new cooperation areas and approaches, Wang said.

Essebsi said he hoped the two countries could reinforce cooperation at various levels and discuss ways to expand cooperation.

He also welcomed more Chinese companies to invest in Tunisia, hoping they could play a key role in his country's infrastructure construction.

During his meeting with Tunisian Prime Minister Habib Essid on Friday, Wang said that the CASCF and the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation are platforms through which China and Tunisia could turn their traditional friendship into pragmatic cooperation.

The prime minister expressed the willingness to expand Tunisia-China cooperation especially in such areas as trade, investment, tourism and infrastructure.

He said Tunisia, which is now faced with many challenges including security threats and terrorism, hoped to get China's support during the process of its socio-economic reform, and ride on the growth opportunities brought by China.

Wang also met with his Tunisian counterpart Khemais Jhinaoui on Friday. Endi