Tunisian Ambassador to China looks for more cooperation at a higher, strategic level | Ambassador’s views on ‘two sessions’

By Wang Gaofei, Zhao Li

(ECNS) -- China's "two sessions," a key political event shaping the country's policy direction, concluded on Tuesday in Beijing. Tunisian Ambassador to China, Adel Elarbi, told China News Network in an exclusive interview that the event “is an important platform for exchanging evaluation and making provisions for the future. ”

He highly praised China’s efforts in opening up its market, deepening cultural exchanges, and promoting a green economy, noting that China’s development experience is crucial for global progress.

Observing that more than 3,000 domestic and foreign journalists covered this year’s “two Sessions,” Elarbi believes China’s global influence is a key reason why it has attracted worldwide attention.

“China is a very important actor in the international world.Everybody knows the political and the economic importance of such a country,and the role that China can play in making the balance in international relations,and also in peace, in stability and development in the world,” he said.

Speaking about the Chinese government work report, Elarbi stated that, as a diplomat, he is especially interested in China’s economic and political relations with other countries.

He noted that the friendship between Tunisia and China has a long history. In 2024, as the two countries celebrated the 60th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations, Tunisian President Kais Saied visited China, and signed a joint statement with China on establishing a strategic partnership covering multiple areas of cooperation.

“We are looking for promoting more cooperation at a higher level, at a strategic level,” the ambassador said.

The 2025 government work report emphasized that China will strive for solid progress in pursuing high-quality Belt and Road cooperation. As one of the BRI countries, Elarbi emphasized that Tunisia is looking for more implementation of the values of Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) in areas such as infrastructure construction, green economy, and science and technology.

The BRI not only provides cooperation opportunities for participating countries, but also “meets the aspirations of their people,” he noted.

He encouraged more Chinese enterprises to invest in Tunisia and to use the Tunisian market, which could be a gateway to the broader African, Arab, and European Union markets, thereby advancing bilateral cooperation to a higher level.

“If you want to go fast, go alone; if you want to go far, go together.” This widely circulated African proverb encapsulates the practical experience and life wisdom of the African people.

In conclusion, Elarbi stated, “if we walk together, we can discover more. We can learn from each other -- the way of approaching things, approaching information, and approaching history. I can learn from my Chinese friends, and the Chinese friends can see another way of thinking from me. So we can progress more.”