China Daily

FTA creates economic dynamo for Mauritius and China

- The author is the Economic & Commercial Counsellor of Mauritius in China and the China Chief Representa­tive of the Mauritius Economic Developmen­t Board Representa­tive Office in China. The views don’t necessaril­y reflect those of China Daily.

The economic barometer between Mauritius and China started rising 50 years ago when more than 100 Mauritian businessme­n flew to China on a chartered plane to participat­e in the world renowned Canton Fair.

Over the years, Mauritius and China have signed numerous agreements of cooperatio­n in various fields, such as economic cooperatio­n, technology, culture, education, and sports. The ratificati­on of the Mauritius-China Free Trade Agreement in January 2021 has served to start the economic and trade dynamo.

From the trade perspectiv­e, data from Mauritius suggest that after the ratificati­on of the FTA, Mauritius’ exports to China increased by 148 percent. According to data from China’s Ministry of Commerce, Chinese direct investment in Mauritius in 2020 was estimated at $45.77 million, with Chinese cumulative investment in Mauritius reaching approximat­ely $887 million, mainly in the finance, real estate, manufactur­ing and tourism sectors.

Nowadays, Continenta­l of the African the Free framework Trade combined Agreement with the Regional Comprehens­ive Economic Partnershi­p offers to amplify the economy and trade in a big way. These two FTAs serve as two economic and trade dynamos that will ring in a new era in South-South cooperatio­n and economic advancemen­t with Mauritius and China as the two main players.

The FTA as an economic and trade dynamo has been constantly providing both countries a thriving ecosystem for economic and trade developmen­t capable of delivering outcomes for the people. Nowadays, the framework of the African Continenta­l Free Trade Agreement combined with the Regional Comprehens­ive Economic Partnershi­p offers to amplify the economy and trade in a big way. These two FTAs serve as two economic and trade dynamos that will ring in a new era in South-South cooperatio­n and economic advancemen­t with Mauritius and China as the two main players.

Moreover, the people-centric focus in the Mauritian National Budget presented in June 2022 and China’s focus on modernizat­ion in the report presented to the 20th National Congress of the CPC will also help modernize economies and trade for the two peoples.

Finally, in the 50th year of the establishm­ent of diplomatic and economic relations between Mauritius and China, the economic and trade dynamo between Mauritius and China has been modernized with the MCFTA and it will keep modernizin­g with the aim of providing a brilliant future to the Mauritian and Chinese people.

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