Insights | Chinese construction an example of China-Africa cooperation: Tunisian official

By Lin Zhuowei

(ECNS)— May 25 is Africa Day, a grand occasion when African descendants around the world celebrate their national independence and the harmonious collaboration between diverse civilizations on the continent.

Over the years, the deepening China-Africa cooperation has borne fruitful results, particularly in trade and infrastructure. More African products have made it into the Chinese market, and Chinese-manufactured goods are getting even more popular in Africa, which points to a brighter future of bilateral cooperation.

"Over the last 15 years, China has become the largest trading partner of Africa," said Zohra Makhlouf, sub-director in the General Directorate of Territorial Planning of the Tunisian Ministry of Equipment and Housing, in an exclusive interview with China News Network.

What grows together with the bilateral trade of goods is the love for cultures. Makhlouf's daughter, fond of Chinese products, music, and fashion, sent her a shopping list before her trip to China.

"So, Chinese investment in African countries in both public and private sectors present an opportunity," she noted, "There are increases between China and Africa in terms of social, economic, and trade (cooperation)."

Tunisia, as "an integral part of Africa" as described by the official, has developed a solid friendship with China through economic and cultural exchanges.

The new Bizerte bridge, located in the north of the African country, serves as an outstanding example of how Tunisia has benefited from cooperation with China. Led by the Tunisian Ministry of Equipment and Housing where Makhlouf works, the project is one of the biggest infrastructures in Tunisia.

"The old bridge disturbs transportation and also trade, because the ships can only get out to the harbor when it is lifted, but the citizens can't go to the other part," explained Makhlouf.

Therefore, a construction plan for a new bridge was proposed by her department. "A Chinese company will construct the new bridge to make it easier for transportation and trade and to develop all the areas of Bizerte," she said.

"I'm confident that this type of project is needed in my country," Makhlouf said affirmatively, adding that she expects deeper cooperation with China and more similar projects in the future.

Mutual trust and deeper mutual understandings, which are indispensable to this vision, derive from more people-to-people exchanges. During her stay in China, she not only tried Chinese delicacies such as Sichuan hotpot but also had a taste of Chinese herbal medicine when her throat became swollen.

"At the beginning, I lost my voice. I went to the pharmacy and was surprised by a lot of herbal medicine," Makhlouf shared her experience of going to a traditional Chinese pharmacy for the first time.

"I like that countries have their identities. We are different, but we have some similarities," said Makhlouf, “We share a lot of things, such as hospitality and I connect with the people (with ease)."

She anticipates more cultural exchanges between the two countries, through art exhibitions, sports events, and more.