China and Tunisia elevate bilateral ties to strategic partnership

China and Tunisia announced the establishment of a strategic partnership on Friday. The announcement came as Chinese President Xi Jinping held talks with Tunisian President Kais Saied in Beijing.

This year marks the 60th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties between China and Tunisia, Xi noted, saying that China is willing to work with Tunisia to carry forward friendship, deepen exchanges and cooperation in various fields and promote bilateral ties to a new stage.

He said China is ready to deepen cooperation in fields such as infrastructure construction, new energy, healthcare, green development, water resources and agriculture, promote high-quality Belt and Road cooperation and welcome more high-quality and specialty products from Tunisia to enter the Chinese market.

China will continue to dispatch highly skilled medical teams to Tunisia and deepen cooperation in education, tourism and people-to-people exchanges, he added. 

Both sides should work with countries in the Global South, strengthen coordination and practice true multilateralism, Xi said. 

For his part, Saied expressed hope for more support from China in Tunisia's national development process.

Tunisia expects to strengthen cooperation in areas including healthcare, transportation, green development and education and promote bilateral ties to a new level, he said.

He added that his country is firmly committed to the one-China policy and supports the Chinese government's efforts to realize national reunification.

Tunisia is ready to work with China, uphold common values of humanity, and oppose hegemony and bloc confrontation to create a more equitable world, he added.

Both sides also exchanged views on the Palestine-Israel conflict. Xi stressed that China has the same stance on the Palestinian issue as the Arab states and is willing to work together to push for a comprehensive, just and lasting settlement of the issue on the basis of the two-state solution.

After their talks, the two heads of state witnessed the signing of a number of cooperation documents in fields including green and low-carbon development as well as investment.

The two sides also signed a joint statement on establishing a strategic partnership. They agreed to work together to promote high-quality Belt and Road cooperation.

China reiterates that it will continue to support Tunisia's economic and social development, appreciates the friendly and cooperative relations between the Chinese and Tunisian peoples, and is willing to help the Tunisian side implement strategic projects in the fields of health, infrastructure, energy, transportation, scientific research and agriculture, the statement said.

Both sides will expand friendly cooperation in the fields of infrastructure construction, economy and trade, investment, renewable energy, technology and people-to-people exchanges such as higher education, scientific research and tourism, according to the statement.

The two sides agreed to explore the development of joint programs for the exchange of modern technologies in key areas such as health, agriculture, water resources management, the green economy, the digital economy, manufacturing, communication technologies and renewable energy.

They also condemned the aggression against the Palestinian people and emphasized the need to put an immediate end to that aggression, fully lift the blockade on the Gaza Strip, ensure access to food and medical assistance, and support the just cause of the Palestinian people and the establishment of an independent state with full sovereignty.