Mauritanian leader eyes closer partnership

As African leaders gather in Beijing for the 2024 Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation, Mauritanian President Mohamed Ould Cheikh Ghazouani said the widely watched event will boost solidarity and cooperation and facilitate the building of a high-level China-Africa community with a shared future.

In an exclusive interview with China Daily, Ghazouani, who is also the rotating chairman of the African Union, expressed strong appreciation for China's principles of sincerity, real results, amity and good faith in its Africa policy.

"I highly appreciate China making solidarity and cooperation for mutual interests with African countries the cornerstone of its Africa policy, which focuses on cooperation and driving African development for the better," he said.

He also said the series of proposals put forward by China on strengthening China-Africa cooperation are constructive and helped deepen the partnership and promote common development.

Ghazouani, who is making his second visit to China since taking office in 2019, arrived in Beijing on Tuesday to attend the three-day 2024 FOCAC Summit. He met with President Xi Jinping on the same day, and the two leaders jointly announced the elevation of bilateral ties to a strategic partnership.

"Africa is determined to continue on the path of modernization and innovation, enhancing its capabilities by optimally utilizing its resources. China is a friendly country that we greatly rely on to accomplish our development plans," Ghazouani said.

He said three proposals supporting Africa's industrialization, agricultural modernization and talent development made last year by President Xi at the China-Africa Leaders' Dialogue, aiming to deepen the China-Africa partnership and achieve economic development, will "open new horizons for bilateral cooperation that effectively enhance joint development".

Cooperation between China and Africa has yielded fruitful results, with trade increasing from $10.5 billion in 2000 to $282.1 billion in 2023.

Regarding bilateral ties, the Mauritanian leader said his country remains committed to mutually beneficial cooperation with China, and also cherishes the profound friendship between the two peoples.

China continued to be Mauritania's largest trading partner in 2023, with bilateral trade reaching $2.25 billion, up 7.4 percent year-on-year. China's exports to Mauritania include tea, light textiles, construction materials, agricultural machinery and household appliances, while the primary imports from Mauritania are iron ore and seafood products.

The Mauritanian leader said cooperation with China within the framework of the Belt and Road Initiative in infrastructure, digitalization, agriculture, fishing and other fields has "significantly contributed to the government's efforts in fighting poverty and vulnerability, ensuring food security, providing the necessary conditions for real economic takeoff".

"In the context of the BRI, this partnership has become strategic, given the opportunities this initiative offers Mauritania to become, thanks to its geostrategic location and immense resources, an economic bridge and a corridor for the African-Chinese development train," Ghazouani said.

"China has blazed a modernization path with its characteristics, and its experience in this regard could truly inspire African countries to achieve the goals of the AU's Agenda 2063," he added.

In recent years, China has proposed a series of global initiatives in an effort to build a community with a shared future for mankind.

Ghazouani expressed appreciation for those initiatives, saying that they contribute to strengthening international cooperation and the power of peace, and forging a balanced and inclusive development model.

"President Xi Jinping is a statesman with exceptional leadership qualities and a visionary outlook for China's future. He has indeed succeeded in leading China to significant levels of progress and prosperity while maintaining friendly relations with countries around the world."

"The characteristics of Chinese foreign policy indicate that His Excellency is a peace-loving leader, consistently supporting just causes and developing nations, striving to end senseless wars, and committed to international cooperation, security and harmony," he said.

Pan Jie contributed to this story.