A reception to mark the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Mauritius and China was held, this evening, at the Eden Garden in JinFei, Terre Rouge. The event was jointly organised by the Chinese Embassy and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Regional Integration and International Trade.
The Prime Minister, Mr Pravind Kumar Jugnauth; the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the People’s Republic of China to Mauritius, Mr Zhu Liying; Ministers; and other eminent personalities were present on this occasion.
In his address, Prime Minister Jugnauth highlighted that this jubilee celebration is an opportunity to showcase the quality of the Mauritius-China relationship, based on trust, solidarity, and respect. He recalled that during this 50-year long bilateral relationship, which was established on 15 April 1972, the Chinese Government has organised a series of high profile visits to Mauritius, the most recent being the friendly visit of Chinese President, Mr Xi Jinping. This visit, he added, has cemented our people-to-people ties.
The Prime Minister also seized this opportunity to pay tribute to Mauritian Chinese who have greatly contributed to the economic and social development of Mauritius, while Chinese culture has become an important part of the multi-cultural environment of Mauritius.
He further stated that the free trade agreement between China and Mauritius, which is the first free trade agreement between China and the African countries, has officially taken effect in 2021 and again demonstrates the strong ties between the two countries.
Moreover, the Prime Minister pointed out that the decision of Mauritius to commit itself to the One China Policy has since been a fundamental component of our foreign policy and is a demonstration of the country’s close relation with China. He also enumerated some projects, such as the construction of the airport, the Midlands dam, and sports facilities at Côte d’Or and Belle Vue, which illustrate China’s commitment to the development of Mauritius.
Prime Minister Jugnauth also recalled the help extended by the Chinese Government to Mauritius in the trying times of the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as China’s endeavour to assist developing countries.
At the global level, underlined the Prime Minister, both countries have shown a firm commitment to promote world peace. He thanked the Chinese Government for its support to the struggle of Mauritius to complete its decolonisation process so that it can fully and effectively exercise sovereignty over the Chagos Archipelago.
Mauritius looks forward to work with the Chinese Government and its people to usher in a new era of cooperation, he concluded.
For his part, Ambassador Zhu underscored that both countries are currently working closely on international issues, such as the territorial integrity involving Taiwan and the Chagos Archipelago respectively. He pointed out that President’s Xi Jinping’s friendly visit to Mauritius in 2018 has reinforced the bilateral ties between Mauritius and China.
A symbol of the Mauritius-China strong relation, according to him, is the setting up in Mauritius of the first Chinese Cultural Centre abroad some 30 years ago. He also observed that Mauritius can act as a bridge between China and the African continent, and benefit from the knowledge, products, and services that China has to offer in several sectors.
