立足自身发展 紧密务实合作

“去年峰会召开至今，八个月过去了，各个国家都发布了合作战略规划以及落实行动方案。塞舌尔是一个很小的国家，但在中非合作中我们也被提及并给予特别关注，这令我们很受鼓舞。”

6月25日，在中非合作论坛北京峰会协调人会议期间，塞舌尔财政、贸易、投资和经济规划部部长莫里斯·卢斯托·拉兰对《中国投资》记者表示。他说，塞舌尔与中国刚刚签署了共建一带一路合作谅解备忘录，纵观历史上的海上贸易路线，特别是在从东方向欧洲运输香料的路线上，塞舌尔始终是重要的一站。

提出行动方案 落实峰会成果

《中国投资》：2018年9月，中非合作论坛北京峰会成功举办。您如何评价此次峰会对推动中非合作以及中国与塞舌尔合作发挥的作用？

莫里斯·卢斯托·拉兰：2018年9

月，习近平主席在北京峰会上提出，在推进中非“十大合作计划”基础上，未来3年和今后一段时间重点实施“八大行动”，聚焦改善基础设施、能力建设和技术转让，并承诺为中非合作提供600亿美元的资金援助。现在是非洲国家通过可行性研究后选出需要投资项目的时候了。塞舌尔是非常小的群岛国家，第一次有国家愿意帮助，这对我们来说弥足珍贵。同时也很兴奋，因为我们可以得到一些资金援助，增加在应对气候变化、绿色经济和海事安全等方面的投入，因为这些领域对促进岛国经济的发展发挥着重要的作用。

《中国投资》：6月25日，中非合作论坛北京峰会成果落实协调人会议在北京圆满闭幕。会议一致通过了《联合声明》。您如何看待《联合声明》中的亮点？

莫里斯·卢斯托·拉兰：去年峰会召开至今，八个月过去了，各个国家都发布了合作战略规划以及落实行动方案。所有非洲国家一致认为，第一阶段八个月的工作是卓有成效的。落实成果的工作体系已经建立，也就是说，中方和非洲方面的工作委员会都在进行后续工作，并且取得了明显的进展。我刚才说了，塞舌尔是一个很小的国家，但在联合声明中，你会发现我们也被提及并被给予了特别关注，这令我们很受鼓舞。

抓住一带一路机遇

《中国投资》：塞舌尔已加入一带一路大家庭，两国关系日益紧密。以您的观察和实践，如何理解一带一路倡议？

莫里斯·卢斯托·拉兰：塞舌尔与中国刚刚签署了共建一带一路合作谅解备忘录。纵观历史上的海上贸易路线，你会发现塞舌尔一直是途中的一站，特别是在从东方向欧洲运输香料的路线上。进入二十一世纪，我们当然也应成为一带一路倡议的成员国。说到它对我们的意义，从亚洲和非洲的版图可以看出，塞舌尔是位于连接两大洲的海洋——印度洋上的一个岛国，在两者之间架起了一座天然的桥梁。因此，我们现在要做的就是改善和升级港口设施，保障货物能够通过塞舌尔在亚洲、中国和非洲之间顺畅地进出。这是我们可以在海洋领域发挥的作用。一带一路倡议不仅涉及陆地和海洋，也包括空中航线的连通。塞舌尔也可以助力中国与非洲及其他地区的通航。优越的地理位置能够让我们国家在海洋运输及空中航线上获益，所以我们要抓住机遇。

⬆塞舌尔首都维多利亚的别墅区（新华社 查春明摄 ）

《中国投资》：您如何评价习近平主席提出的构建人类命运共同体倡议？

莫里斯·卢斯托·拉兰：我认为，习近平主席提出的这一倡议绝对正确。如果双方合作时只有一方获利，这样的关系就不会持续。习近平主席提出的共赢的理念就是强调我们不能只顾及一方的利益，也必须考虑其他方的需要。这也是中非合作论坛成立的基础，目的就是通过中国与非洲国家的合作，实现所有参与方的共赢。

分享经验 加强能力建设

《中国投资》：您认为，在国家发展方面，有哪些中国经验可以学习借鉴？

莫里斯·卢斯托·拉兰：我认为，中国在许多方面都值得非洲国家学习和借鉴，因为中国在这些方面已经处于非常领先的地位了。比如，在农业领域，中国的技术能力就远超我们国家。因此我们需要学习先进的农业技术从而获益。我们这个岛国多山，适于耕种的土地面积不多，所以必须多种形式发展农业。中国拥有我们不具备的技术能力和丰富的经验，这是我们应该学习并且能够受益的地方。

同时，我们也希望与中国分享一些经验，比如，在海洋管理方面。作为一个非常小的岛国，极易受到气候变化的影响。海岸线就经常遭到侵蚀，必须采取有效措施才能保护我们的海岸。在这方面我们可以与中国分享一些技术和做法。此外，中国非常注重能力建设，中国对塞舌尔的教育领域进行投资，帮助我们建立大学。同时，还邀请塞舌尔一批年轻的专业人员到中国进修和培训，中方为他们提供奖学金。这些年轻人掌握了先进的技术，提升了专业水平，也为塞舌尔的技术发展提供人才支持，这也是中国帮助我们发展的另一方面。我们为学生提供基础教育，然后送他们到中国进一步深造，这对提高我们的整体教育水平非常有益。

深化金融合作

《中国投资》：不久前，您曾说过“塞舌尔目前正在与一些中资银行合作，并希望尽快与其中一家银行签署代理银行协议。”到目前为止，情况如何？ 从金融稳定的角度来看，这是否会进一步加强对银行业的保障？

莫里斯·卢斯托·拉兰：是的，我们希望能在塞舌尔更多地使用人民币，而且我们还想在我们国家设立人民币储备体系。因为现在来塞舌尔旅游的中国游客越来越多，如果他们能在塞舌尔使用人民币消费，这会为他们提供极大的便利。我们正在与中国的银行沟通有关信用卡的业务，就是为了让中国人的信用卡也能在塞舌尔使用。在对接银行业务方面，一些中资银行与塞舌尔的一些银行已经建立了业务往来关系，但是一段时间以来，由于洗钱、关税、融资等原因，情况变得有些复杂，因此我们希望能与中国的银行开展深入的业务交往。如果我们失去与中国银行业的业务关系，我们的经济就会处于危险中。原因很简单，作为一个小岛国，我们需要大量的游客。事实上，来塞舌尔旅游的游客人数已经超过了当地的人口数量。而且，我们使用的商品也都需要从国外进口，所以，与中国的银行业合作对我们的贸易便利化及旅游业发展至关重要。

鼓励中国企业投资渔业及旅游业

《中国投资》：在您看来，塞舌尔有哪些重点发展领域？投资机会？

莫里斯·卢斯托·拉兰：我认为是旅游业是重点发展领域。我们欢迎更多的中国的投资者来塞舌尔建酒店和餐馆，并对其它与旅游业有关的项目进行投资。这非常重要。我们还希望能开通多条从中国到塞舌尔的直航航线。如果你投资建设了酒店，当然希望能有更多的游客前来旅游。同时，开通直航也是发展旅游业的一个关键因素。我们的空中交通是开放的，所以我们鼓励中国的航空公司能安排航班直飞塞舌尔，甚至经由塞舌尔转飞非洲的其他地方，在这方面我们愿意提供帮助。

另一个重点投资领域是海洋渔业，因为我们的鱼类资源丰富。我们有世界上第一大金枪鱼制造厂，而且我们还将一些金枪鱼出口到中国。但目前我们的出口量太少，所以希望在这一领域进一步拓展合作机会。此外，由于中国具有先进的农业技术，我认为中国的投资者们可以来塞舌尔投资农业，这是塞舌尔希望致力打造的新产业。我们想在开阔的水域和海洋中尝试发展养殖业，而且很快会发布相关的产业政策，因此中国的投资者可以带着技术来这里投资开发养殖业。

现在已经有许多中国公司投资塞舌尔，其中一家大型公司正在帮我们建设水坝。以提升蓄水能力。中国的这家公司在国际招标中胜出，项目由我们出资，中国公司负责建设。因为，中方具备这方面的专业技术和经验，所以能够胜任承建这一对我们来说非常重要的水坝。我们也希望有更多的中国公司参与塞舌尔其他项目的国际招标。

《中国投资》：为什么选择与中国公司合作而不是其他公司？

莫里斯·卢斯托·拉兰：在项目进行国际招标时，我们很愿意看到中国公司胜出。其中的一个原因是这些项目都很大，比如建这个水坝，它需要耗资1.9亿塞舌尔卢比，而中国公司对建这样的大型项目不仅有技术，而且有经验，因此它们非常具有竞争力。另一个原因是，中方在项目建设时还能够我们提供融资，而且他们的融资成本较低。对比商业贷款、土地融资和一些所谓的优惠融资，我们发现中国的资金更有吸引力。

英文版

Based on Our Own Development, Seeking Close Practical Cooperation

——Interview with Mr.Maurice Loustau-Lalane, Minister of Finance, Trade, Investment and Economic Planning of Seychelles

By ZhangMei  China Investment    

“Since
last eight months, following the successful summit in Beijing, ahead of
state level, they created a strategy and also an action plan of how to
implement. I think we are small islands, and in the text of the joint
statement, you would find that a small island is given special mention
and special attention. That is very encouraging.” On Jun.25, During the
Coordinators’ Meeting on the Implementation of the Follow-up Actions of
the Beijing Summit of the Forum on  China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC),
the Minister of Finance, Trade, Investment and Economic Planning of
Seychelles Mr.Maurice Loustau-Lalane told the China Investment reporter.
He
said, We joined very recently, the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU),
but when you look at the old trade routes, you find that Seychelles was
in fact an island stopping location, especially to trade spices between
East and Europe, through Seychelles.

China
Investment: Minister Maurice Loustau Lalanne, the Forum on China-Africa
Cooperation (the FOCAC Summit) was successful held in September 2018 in
Beijing. What role has the meeting play in China-Africa cooperation,
and more specifically between China and Seychelles?

Maurice Loustau-Lalane:
As you know, President Xi Jinping had a very focused leadership with
regard to putting more money to support the initiatives of the FOCAC. He
put additional 60 billion dollars to the program, and it was up to
Africa to choose projects, which had to be done through feasibility
studies for investment. He had given eight main areas to focus, and as
far as the contentness concern, most of it is to do with infrastructure
improvement, some technology transfer, some capacity building. But what
was very important for us, like Seychelles, which is a very small, very
f, island in the middle of the ocean, and there are all the small island
states, is that for the first time, they considered that they should
also assist vulnerable islands, what they call the peculiarity and
vulnerability of small islands. So we are very excited about this,
because we know that we can access funds. For example, for climate
change adaptation projects, for the blue economy, for the maritime
security, so these are some new areas that has been discussed, which we
feel is going to play a major role in lifting economic development of
some of these island states.

China
Investment: The joint statement from the follow up meeting on the 2018
Forum on China-Africa Cooperation was just released. What do you make of
the statement? What are some highlights draw most of your attention?

Maurice Loustau-Lalane:
Since last eight months, following the successful summit in Beijing,
ahead of state level, they created a strategy and also an action plan of
how to implement. And what we all agree, all African countries, we all
agree that the implementation of the first phrase of the eight month was
actually quite successful. We all think that the system put in place,
in other words, the working committees, there is following up that has
been done, both by the Chinese side and by the African side, and we are
all in the agreements we have done good progress. Like I said again, I
think we are small islands, and in the text of the joint statement, you
would find that a small island is given special mention and special
attention. That is very encouraging.

⬆Seychelles famous scenic spot—— Port Glaud Waterfall

China
Investment: Seychelles is one of many nations that sign up to the Belt
and Road Initiative (BRI), how do you understand the initiative?

Maurice Loustau-Lalane: We
joined very recently, the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU), but when
you look at the old trade routes, you find that Seychelles was in fact
an island stopping location, especially to trade spices between East and
Europe, through Seychelles. So naturally, we are along the old route,
so it is only normal that we are now in the 21st century make sure that
we are part of the initiative. So what does it mean for us? When you
look at Asia and Africa, our islands are geographically placed in the
middle of the ocean, and we play a nature bridge between the two. So
what we can do is to improve our port facilities in Seychelles, so that
goods can come and transit, between Asia, China, and Africa, and transit
through Seychelles, so our port facilities can be upgraded, and we can
play that role. But that’s on the maritime side. But Belt and Road is
not only a land thing, it’s also to do with air. So air transport is
also a link. Under the Belt and Road, air transport is also important.
Linking China through Seychelles to Africa, and other places. So these
are the two areas that we think areas we can benefit, and we are
geographically well located to play that role.

China
Investment: We know in this year May, Seychelles and China signed two
new agreements in order to advance the nation’s bilateral trading
options and opportunities. Actually, you were there and signed one of
the agreements. Could you tell us more about the newly signed
agreements? And why this timing?

Maurice Loustau-Lalane: The
most recent one we signed, is again under the FOCAC action plan, so it
features in the action plan. And it is four hundred and fifty million
yuan. And this is for projects that is going to necessary improve our,
what I called ‘capacity building’ in Seychelles. So it’s to do with
technical and vocational school that Chinese side would build. It is
also to do with business studies at higher level. So we want to give
skills to our people for them to be able to improve on the economic
side. So this is very important part. The other side is that, China has
invested in Seychelles bilaterally in the education system, in the
health system, and now one big project we have is broadcasting. They are
building us a brand new television and radio house to improve our
access, and through this also Chinese programs would be retransmitted
through Seychelles, also in other languages, so we have this win-win
relationship with China.

And
recently China and Seychelles signed an agreement, which basically
tries to protect the goods that are send from China to Seychelles so
that it meets the standard. So if you import goods, and sometime we
import from China, not all the time, but sometime the standard of the,
say light bulb, steel, whatever it is, sometime it is not on the
standard, so this agreement we’ve signed is to make sure that on the
Chinese side, they would check the standard of the items that’s been
purchased to send to Seychelles. And I think this is very important,
because it allows us not to waste money, and it allows us to stop making
claims. So it’s essentially to make sure that we have goods so that we
can improve the life of our people in Seychelles.

China
Investment: On the future of mankind, Chinese President Xi Jinping has
initiated the idea of building a community of shared future for mankind.
What do you think of this concept?

Maurice Loustau-Lalane: He
is absolutely right. There is no point in entering a business
relationship where only one side wins. Basically, what he is saying is
that, both sides should have a win in this. So we don’t do something if
only one side wins. We want to look at the other side, and make sure
that both sides are winning. And that is the basis of the FOCAC, that is
what we are here for, the basis of this relationship with China and
Africa, so that we are all winners at the end of the day.

China
Investment: On the level of national development, what experiences of
Chinese do you think that African countries may borrow and learn?

Maurice Loustau-Lalane:
I think there are lots of areas where China can export, they know how.
You are very advanced in lots of places. For example, in agriculture, I
think your technology here in farming is a lot higher than for example
in my country. So I think we need to benefit from that technology
transfer. We are a small island, very rocky mountains, and solid is not
very particularly fertilized, so we got to do agriculture in a different
way, and China has that technology that we don’t have it. So I think
this is where we can benefit.

And
when I say win-win, you see now we can also maybe share with China some
of these experiences that maybe we have, and they don’t have. For
example, in costal management, we are a very small island, very
vulnerable with climate change, and we have seen some of our coastline
getting eroded, and some of these measures we have put in place to
safeguard our coasts, we can share that technology and the idea with
China. So this is what we need to do. There are other places where I
think China is also focused on capacity building. I told you earlier
they are invested in education in Seychelles, even at university level,
they build university for us. But they also take young Seychelles, young
professionals and train them here in China. So they give them
scholarships and train our people at a much higher level, so they can
have the competency to be able to move forward with these newer
technology. So again I think China has a lot that we can take from, and
it is all to do with improving level, we could train them at basic
level, and then we send them to China and they can raise the level.

China
Investment: Not long ago, you said “Seychelles is currently working
with some Chinese banks and are hoping to sign a correspondent banking
agreement soon with one of them.” How is that going so far? Is that a
move to further safeguards around the banking sector from a financial
stability viewpoint?

Maurice Loustau-Lalane:
Yes, I think we want to see the RMB currency more in our economy, in
Seychelles. We also to want to build a reserve of the RMB in our
country. Because we do get Chinese visitors to Seychelles. And then we
want to facilitate their spending in Seychelles. So one the things we
are doing now, is with banks here that has its own credit card, we want
also have that credit card accepted in our system, so that Chinese
visitors are able to use their own credit cards when they are doing
purchases in Seychelles. So this is what we are doing. Now on
corresponded banking, some Chinese banks were having corresponding banks
links with some of our banks in Seychelles, but you know over time,
it’s getting more and more difficult now, for reasons of money
laundering, tariffs, financing and so on. So we want to develop a better
links, with China so we don’t lose our corresponding banking, because
if we lose the corresponding banking, it is going to put our economy in
jeopardy. Because we reply on lots of importation. We are a small
island, we import visitors. We have more visitors than the local
population. And we cannot afford to have a situation where we no longer
be able to purchase goods from overseas. So it is vital for us that we
have this. So I have a visit the month of August to go to Shanghai to
meet some of those banks, so we can finalize this.

⬆Anse Intendance is the most famous beach on Mahe Island

China Investment: What sectors do you see in growth and opportunities in Seychelles for Chinese investors and businessmen?

Maurice Loustau-Lalane:  I
think in tourism, we must convince Chinese investors to come and build
hotels in Seychelles, also to build restaurants, maybe some other
investment in relation to tourism. That is very important. We need to
make sure that airlines from China fly to Seychelles. Because when you
build a hotel, if you build specifically for Chinese visitors, and other
visitors, you want to make sure that you can bring the Chinese to the
island. So airline is very important. We have open policy in
transportation, we want to encourage the Chinese airlines to fly to
Seychelles, and even go to Africa from Seychelles. And we are willing to
assist.
And the other one is being in the ocean, we have a lot of
fish. And we are the number one tuna factory in the world, so some of
our tuna we can export to China. We export very little now, so we can do
this. But at the same time, China has the technology in agriculture, so
I think Chinese investors can come to Seychelles and invest in
agriculture. This is a new endeavor that we want to start. And mainly in
the surrounding facility of the ocean. So we want to do agriculture in
open water, in the sea. China has the technology, so I think they should
come and invest. Very soon we will launch our policy on agriculture,
and I think Chinese investors should come and take part.

We
also have a lot of Chinese companies. Now there is a big Chinese
company building our dam for water. We want to increase our water
capacity, and it’s Chinese company that has won the international open
tender. We are financing it, but it’s a Chinese company that’s building
it. We are very proud, because you have the expertise, you have the
knowledge, and you can build a project like that, which is very
important for us. So there could be also some specific construction that
we would invite the Chinese companies to take part when we do the
international tender.

China Investment: Why do you pick Chinese companies rather than others?

Maurice Loustau-Lalane: When
we have international tender out, we would like Chinese companies to
apply. I think one of the reasons, for example, the dam project, which
is a big project, it’s one hundred nineteen million of Seychelles’
Rupee. When tendered, Chinese companies are the most competitive, so
that is one reason. They are very competitive simply because they have
the technology, and they have done similar projects here in China, so
they know because they have done it before. So we are buying their
experiences, they know how, and it is the most effective. The other
thing sometime is that, China gives you financing, which is better. It’s
a cheaper financing you can get, that’s where you should go for. And
sometime when you blend commercial interest loan, with some ground
financing, and some concessional financing, you put it all together, you
will find that the Chinese money sometime is more competitive than
others.