Israel-Gaza war talks on agenda for China’s Foreign Minister in Tunisia
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi arrived in Tunisia yesterday to begin an official twoday visit.
Mr Wang was received by Tunisian Foreign Minister Nabil Ammar and was expected to discuss the war in Gaza.
China has called for a largescale international peace summit on the Gaza conflict.
Before arriving in Tunis, Mr Wang visited Egypt, where he repeated his country’s stance regarding the Israel-Gaza war and said that “the international community should listen carefully to the legitimate concerns in the Middle East”. “China calls for the convening of a larger-scale, more authoritative and more effective international peace conference, the formulation of a specific timetable and road map for the implementation of the ‘twostate solution’,” Mr Wang said in Cairo on Sunday after meeting Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry.
The Tunisian Foreign Ministry said that Mr Wang’s visit was proof of the strategic position the North African nation holds for China in the region.
Mr Wang was expected to meet senior Tunisian officials and take part in an “expanded working session” with Mr Ammar.
“Tunisia seeks to strengthen the bonds of friendship with China and establish new and promising partnerships in several sectors, which will contribute to raising bilateral relations to the highest levels,” the ministry said last Thursday after a phone call between President Kais Saied and Chinese President Xi Jinping.
The ministry also said that the visit confirmed the country’s foreign policy approach, which seeks to diversify its partners beyond its traditional friends and allies.
Through the visit, the two countries are reportedly seeking to complete an agreement between Tunisia’s Foreign Ministry and the Chinese Agency for International Co-operation and Development.
The agreement aims to establish joint projects in the health, renewable energy and communication technology sectors.
China has forged a role as an alternative source of credit for Tunisia to pay its debts after the country struggled to reach an agreement with the International Monetary Fund regarding a bailout loan. China was among the first countries to support Tunisia in combating the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic.
It did this through successive donations that included vaccines and medical equipment, between 2020 and 2022.
France invests about $2 billion a year in the North African country.
However, China could soon catch up through projects such as the University Hospital of Sfax and the Melegue dam near El Kef that are being built.
Between 2008 and 2021, China reportedly spent $240 billion bailing out 22 countries, including Argentina, Pakistan, Turkey and Kenya.
Mr Wang was expected to meet senior Tunisian officials and take part in an ‘expanded working session’