On February 1, 2016 local time, Foreign Minister Wang Yi held talks with Minister of Foreign Affairs, Regional Integration and International Trade Etienne Sinatambou of Mauritius.

Wang Yi expressed that though separated by vast ocean and different in area, population size and historical and cultural background, China and Mauritius always respect each other with equal treatment. Bilateral mutually beneficial cooperation is progressing smoothly and yielding remarkable results, and China has become the second largest trade partner of Mauritius. The two countries enjoy frequent people-to-people and cultural exchanges, which has laid a solid public opinion and social foundation for bilateral friendship. China set up its first overseas cultural center in Mauritius and encourages its volunteers to serve as messengers of friendship for the two countries, and now Mauritius has become a main destination in Africa for Chinese tourists.

Wang Yi said that China-Mauritius relations are of increasing strategic significance and have gone beyond the scope of bilateral relations. Looking into the future, China’s cooperation ideas are as follows：

Firstly, advance connection in two fields. First is to connect China-Mauritius cooperation with China-Africa cooperation. President Xi Jinping put forward the ten cooperation plans for China and Africa at the FOCAC Johannesburg Summit, and it is believed that Mauritius will find its due role in them so as to ensure mutual promotion and common development between China-Mauritius cooperation and China-Africa cooperation. Second is to connect development strategies of China and Mauritius. Mauritius hopes to develop innovative industry and achieve its “Vision 2030”and “Second Economic Miracle” while China is vigorously advancing an innovation-driven economic development strategy, therefore the two sides could learn from and support each other and thus open up more space for mutually beneficial cooperation.

Secondly, explore expansion in two sectors. First is to expand China-Mauritius cooperation westward to the African continent. The unique geographic and regional advantages of Mauritius should be fully leveraged to gradually build the country into a gateway for China’s investment in Africa and a hub for China’s connectivity cooperation with Africa. Both sides could explore the feasibility of jointly establishing a financial service center for cooperation with Africa and a training platform for Africa and the feasibility to promote Mauritius’s aviation connection with all other African countries. Second is to expand China-Mauritius cooperation eastward to the Indian Ocean with a focus on enhancing mutually beneficial cooperation in maritime economy. China views Mauritius as a natural extension along the Maritime Silk Road and will explore effective ways with Mauritius for jointly building the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road based on an open attitude and the principle of voluntariness.

Thirdly, deepen cooperation in two aspects. First is to constantly enhance bilateral personnel exchanges at all levels, deepen bilateral political mutual trust and boost exchanges and mutual learning in state governance and development experience between the two countries. Second is to continuously deepen bilateral cooperation in international and regional affairs such as climate change and the UN to safeguard common interests.

Etienne Sinatambou stated that China is the most important engine for global economic growth and its economic prospects are encouraging. Mauritius is happy to have such a true friend and such a reliable partner as China. Mauritius will enhance strategic cooperation with China and elevate Mauritius-China relations at bilateral cooperation and China-Africa cooperation levels. Mauritius is willing to have in-depth discussions with China on specific plans to realize the connection in two fields, expansion in two sectors and cooperation in two aspects, and particularly to explore with China the broad prospects for westward expansion of bilateral mutually beneficial cooperation to the African continent. Mauritius is also willing to, together with China, establish a free trade area and discuss and sign an intergovernmental agreement on maritime cooperation.