China-Tunisia cooperation stronger than ever
▶ BRI enables members to maintain close, sustainable ties
While the whole world is courageously fighting the COVID-19 pandemic, business opportunities and social and economic empowerment seem neglected. Nevertheless, a solid partnership based on sincerity, knowledge sharing, transparency and a win-win philosophy is the only asset capable of overcoming difficulties in all circumstances. In this regard, the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) is one of the most efficient and reliable partnership tools that enables its members to maintain close and sustainable economic cooperation.
Tunisia, a country with main strategic positions in the Southern Mediterranean, North Africa and the Arab world, joined the BRI in early September 2018 with a view to further enhance its global partnership with China, an old friend with whom ties trace back to the Silk Road.
Many bilateral projects have since been established and implemented. Projects have looked to the future, referring to the glorious past through human development, economic empowerment and friendship consolidation as cornerstones. As examples, I can refer to the following projects which are being implemented:
1. The University Hospital in Sfax in the south of Tunisia, already built under the BRI framework, is one of the best examples of solid, anchored and sane friendship. It is a huge project that will allow the south of Tunisia with its roughly 3 million inhabitants to access additional medical services that are so needed. It will be a windfall for medical staff and students at the region’s universities, and naturally for the local people. The COVID-19 pandemic has shown how important human health is, but also how much friendship is needed at such a time.
2. The youth was always in the scope of cooperation between Tunisia and China. In this regard, a great project to build a sophisticated, integrated and modern Youth Centre in Ben Arous (a suburb of Tunis) is in planning. A huge number of young Tunisian people who are considered to be the country’s real wealth, eager to develop their physical and mental capabilities, will finally find an appropriate space to fulfil their hopes and prove their know-how, intelligence and enthusiasm, thanks to friendly cooperation with China.
3. As scientific research, AI development and ITC enhancement meet the goals of BRI projects and bilateral cooperation, a High Performance Computing Centre is to be established together with the Tunisian Calculation Centre Al Khawarizmi (under the auspices of the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research) and the China Academy for Science and Technology. The center will be one of the most important in Africa and will contribute to enhancing scientific cooperation between Tunisia and China and also within the framework of trilateral cooperation with third countries.
Once the center is established, it will enhance technological and scientific research, and private Tunisian companies could benefit by developing their activities through China, as economic and commercial opportunities flourish.
4. Finally, I cannot fail to mention another important bilateral project that is very meaningful for me as a career diplomat, the Diplomatic Academy of Tunisia. The academy will provide high-level courses and training for Tunisian diplomats, but also for their colleagues from Africa and Arab countries. It is expected to promote Tunisia as a diplomatic hub in the region and to highly improve the training curricula for highly skilled Tunisian diplomats. Big Chinese companies are doing their best to design and build an academy which will provide the premises for a great and important institution, and will reflect the true friendship ties that exist between Tunisia and China.
I am deeply convinced that the difficult circumstances we are all facing will yield a new world, more united and responsive to the globe’s main concerns. I congratulate China’s leadership, government and people, who have shown their resilience and efficiency in addressing a very sensitive and complicated situation caused by the COVID-19 outbreak. Sooner or later, the virus will be forgotten, but true friendship will prevail.