一带一路提升突中合作水平

自一带一路倡议提出以来，突尼斯与中国的关系实现了质的飞跃。突尼斯对一带一路倡议极为重视，2018年7月在北京，突尼斯外交部长赫米斯勒·朱海纳维与中国国务委员兼外交部长王毅签署了谅解备忘录，突尼斯正式加入一带一路倡议。
一带一路倡议保护和带动了国际双边和多边合作机制快速发展，突尼斯十分期待在一带一路框架下，两国关系和各领域合作能够得到蓬勃发展。
今年4月，由外交部副部长萨布里·巴什塔布吉率领的突尼斯代表团参加了第二届“一带一路”国际合作高峰论坛。由于深知这一倡议将为突尼斯带来发展机遇，萨布里·巴什塔布吉与中国官员探讨了进一步深化两国合作关系的路径。

双边合作重大进展
由于突尼斯成功实现了政治转型，以及两国在一带一路倡议下务实合作，使我国在政治和经济领域取得进步，并实现稳定发展，同时，对进一步深化突尼斯与中国的关系产生了积极影响，这一切高层互访，经贸往来，投资，人文交流中均得以体现。
毫无疑问，两国高层的频繁互访反映出双方合作充满活力。2016年中国国务委员兼外交部长王毅访问突尼斯；随后，2017年和2018年突尼斯外交部长赫米斯勒·朱海纳维先后两次到中国访问。2018年9月，突尼斯政府首脑优素福·查西德也到访中国。此外，两国政府和党政代表团也往来密切，这在很大程度上强化了双方的合作基础。
2017年突尼斯-中国商务理事会正式成立，并迅速成为两国商界团体交流互动的重要平台。
近年来，中国已成为突尼斯第四大贸易伙伴和第三大进口国。与此同时，来突尼斯旅游的中国游客人数从2010年的3000人增至2016年的8000人，2018年，游客已经达到近3万人。随着到访突尼斯的中国游客人数激增，中国已成为突尼斯旅游业的重要战略市场。
突尼斯与中国高等院校和科研机构的合作也成绩斐然。学生交流人数显著增加。2018年两国合作在考古领域取得了重大发现，其中包括突尼斯南部的10个考古遗址，这是两国联合展开科学研究的重点项目。
除此以外，突尼斯还渴望中国增加对突尼斯的投资额，并鼓励中国公司到突尼斯投资创业，因为突尼斯具备非常有利的营商环境。投资方式灵活多样，企业既可以享受突尼斯政府批准的外商投资政策，也可以遵循突尼斯与欧盟、东南非共同市场签署的自由贸易和商业协定，这都为投资者直接进入更广阔的国际市场奠定基础。

⬆2018年10月12日，在突尼斯组装生产的首辆乘用车-“吉利”轿车成功下线（新华社 黄灵摄）

一带一路引领基础设施和现代工业合作
2018年9月在访问中国期间，突尼斯政府首脑优素福·查西德与中国政府签署了项目谅解合作备忘录，在突尼斯南部地区梅德宁省兴建铁路、桥梁和工业园区。2019年2月，突尼斯投资、发展和国际合作部长齐亚德·拉扎里在中国访问期间，就突尼斯斯法克斯、比塞大和纳布勒市兴建大型基础设施项目与中国政府签署了谅解备忘录。
显然，突尼斯非常重视与中国在重大基础设施项目建设领域展开合作，但与此同时，突尼斯也非常期望能够吸引更多来自中国的直接投资，用于国内企业的生产经营，这也是两国政府及企业间密切交往的目标。
2019年4月，亚洲基础设施投资银行（AIIB）批准突尼斯成为其成员国。这无疑为突尼斯与中国和其他成员国在一带一路倡议下开发基础设施项目提供了一个新的合作平台。
在工业和现代技术领域，中国企业对突尼斯的投资环境已经表现出了越来越浓厚的兴趣。一些中国知名的汽车公司已经在突尼斯建立了汽车装配厂。此外，2019年3月，中国的“北斗导航系统”开始在突尼斯运行，这是它首次在非洲和阿拉伯地区的农业领域进行尝试。
现代制造业和科技产业是突尼斯政府优先发展的重要领域，突尼斯与中国的一些公司已经建立了联系，期望吸引中国企业对这些产业进行投资。

“外交培训学院”—— 两国合作试点项目
2018年2月，中国与突尼斯签署建立突尼斯外交培训学院的协议。2019年3月3日，突尼斯共和国总统贝吉·卡伊德·埃塞卜西亲自参加了该项目的开工奠基仪式。
外交培训学院无疑是我们双边合作框架内最重要的项目之一。它将成为互惠互利伙伴关系的典范，并有助于促进双方之间的和睦相处与理解。突尼斯选择中国援助建设这一重要的院校也反映出突尼斯对中国的充分信任以及两国间友好关系所达到的高度。除了为突尼斯培训外交官员，突尼斯还与中国政府密切合作，力争使该学院也成为区域合作和为其他友好国家培训外交官的平台。
突尼斯政府积极乐观地看待两国关系的未来，并且决心将双边关系进一步提升到更高的水平。

英文版

BRI Upgrades Tunisia-China Cooperation

By H.E. Dhia Khaled   Ambassador of the Republic of Tunisia to China

The Tunisian-Chinese relations have seen a qualitative leap since the launch of the Belt and Road Initiative, to which Tunisia has paid a great attention and became, in July 2018, an official member after the signing, in Beijing, of a Memorandum of Understanding by their Excellencies Mr. Khemaies Jhinaou, Tunisian Minister of Foreign Affairs, and Mr. Wang Yi, Chinese State Councilor and Minister of Foreign Affairs.

The Belt and Road initiative has been transformed rapidly into an umbrella and a locomotive for various bilateral and multilateral cooperation mechanisms, and Tunisia is nourishing great expectations for the future of its bilateral relations and cooperation with China within this new and innovative mechanism.

As on 2017, Tunisia participated recently to the second session of the International Cooperation Forum of the Belt and Road Initiative, by an important delegation led by H.E. Mr Sabri Bachtobji, Vice-Minister of Foreign Affairs, who discussed with several Chinese officials the ways and means to further develop our bilateral relations, having in mind and taking benefits of the new opportunities offered by the initiative.  

Important development of bilateral cooperation in recent years

The continuous evolving the Belt and Road initiative and the success of Tunisia in achieving its political transition and consolidating its social and economic progress, have had a positive impact on Tunisian-Chinese relations that are witnessing a day-to-day progress and updating in various fields.

The frequency of high-level reciprocal visits reflects, undeniably, the dynamism of the cooperation that exists between our two countries. I would recall, as significant examples, the visit paid by H.E M. Wang Yi State Councilor and Minister of Foreign Affairs of P.R. China  to Tunisia in 2016, followed by two visits of his Tunisian counterpart, H.E.M Khemaies Jhinaoui, to China  in 2017 and 2018, and a visit of the Tunisian Chief of Government, H.E. Mr. Youssef Chahed, to Beijing in September 2018. Other governmental and Political Parties visits were also registered in both directions and largely contributed to the reinforcement of the basis of our cooperation .

Furthermore, a Tunisian-Chinese Business Council was created in 2017 and became, in a very short time, an important platform for communication and interaction between the business communities of the two countries.

China was ranked in recent years Tunisia’s fourth largest trading partner and its third provider in term of imports. It became also an important strategic market for Tunisia’s tourism sector, regarding the rapid increase in the number of Chinese tourists, which grew from only 3000 in 2010, to 8,000 in 2016 and to around 30,000 in 2018.

We have also witnessed an outstanding development of University and Scientific cooperation between Tunisia and China. The volume of student exchanges has remarkably risen and we have succeeded together in achieving an important archaeological discovery in 2018, which includes 10 archaeological sites in southern Tunisia as part of a joint scientific research program.

Besides, Tunisia aspires to increase the volume of China’s investment and encourages Chinese enterprises to take advantage of the propitious business climate in the country, whether through foreign investment policies approved by the Tunisian Government or free trade and commercial agreements that Tunisia signed with the European Union, the African COMESA Group and also with numerous regional bodies , which provide to the Chinese investor a direct access to a billion-strong market.

Infrastructure and modern industries, the locomotive of cooperation between the two countries

During a visit to Beijing, in September 2018, of the Tunisian Chief of Government H.E. Mr. Youssef Chahed, a Memorandum of Understanding was signed. It is related to the realization of feasibility of three major infrastructure projects in southern Tunisia, including a railway link project, a bridge and an industrial zone.

Furthermore, some other Memorandum of Understanding were signed during the visit to China, in February 2019, of H.E.. Mr Zied Laadhari, Minister of Investment, Development and International Cooperation, and they are related also to big infrastructure projects in the Governorates of Sfax, Bizerte and Nabeul.

It is a matter of fact that Tunisia attaches a great importance to cooperate with China in the field of big projects of development but it looks forward, at the same time, to attract, as much as possible, Chinese direct investments in productive activities.  It is one of the objectives that we are working on closely with the Chinese Government and companies form both public and private sectors, to achieve within a spirt of win-win partnership.

Moreover, the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank, AIIB, has approved on April 2019 Tunisia’s membership in the group of Member States. This membrship will certainly provide Tunisia with a new platform for cooperation with China and the other members of the Bank in developing some infrastructure projects within the spirit of the Belt and Road Initiative.

In the field of industry and modern technology, Chinese companies have shown increasing interest to the investment climate in Tunisia, where some Chinese strong automobile companies have opened car assembly factories. In addition, the Chinese “Beidou navigation system” conducted in Tunisia, in March 2019, its first experience in the agricultural field in African and Arab regions.

The sectors of modern industry and technology represent an important priority for the Tunisian Government, and there are direct contacts between Tunisian and Chinese companies to attract more Chinese investment in these crucial fields.

The “Diplomatic Academy “, a pilot project in the Tunisian-Chinese cooperation

Following the agreement reached, in 2017, by Tunisian and Chinese Foreign Affairs Ministers their Excellencies Mr. Khemaies Jhinaoui and Mr. Wang Yi, a Memorandum of Understanding was signed in Tunis, in February 2018, to establish a “Tunisian Diplomatic Academy”. The cornerstone of the project was laid on May 3rd, 2019 By the Tunisian President of Republic, H.E. Mr Béji Caïd Essebsi.

The “Diplomatic Academy” is certainly one of the most important projects to be realized within the framework of our bilateral cooperation in the coming future. It will serve as a model for mutual beneficial partnership and will contribute to the rapprochement and understanding between the two sides. Tunisia’s choice of China to build this important institution reflects the confidence that my country gives to China and the excellent level reached by our friendly relations.

Besides of training the Tunisian diplomats and officials, we are closely working with the Chinese authorities to make The Tunisian Diplomatic Academy as a platform for regional cooperation and training for diplomats coming from friendly countries.

The Tunisian side is positively and optimistically looking at the future of the bilateral relations with China and is determined to further upgrade theme to a much higher level.