China, Tunisia sign economic, technical cooperation agreement

Tunisian Minister of Foreign Affairs Khemaies Jhinaoui (1st R) meets with Wang Xiaotao (2nd L), head of China International Development Cooperation Agency, in Tunis, capital of Tunisia, Jan. 11, 2019. China and Tunisia signed an economic and technical cooperation agreement on Friday to increase China's support for Tunisia. (Xinhua/Adele Ezzine)

TUNIS, Jan. 11 (Xinhua) -- China and Tunisia signed an economic and technical cooperation agreement on Friday to increase China's support for Tunisia.

The agreement was signed by Hatem Ferjani, secretary of state to the minister for foreign affairs in charge of economic diplomacy, and Wang Xiaotao, head of China International Development Cooperation Agency, who is on a two-day visit to Tunisia.

During the meeting, the two sides agreed to strengthen Tunisian-Chinese cooperation and to promote Chinese investment in Tunisia, particularly in infrastructure.

Tunisian Minister of Foreign Affairs Khemaies Jhinaoui also met with Wang, and reiterated Tunisia's will to strengthen cooperation with China in many economic sectors.

"Tunisia's accession to China-proposed Belt and Road Initiative will certainly open new horizons for bilateral cooperation between Tunisia and China," said Jhinaoui.

Proposed by China in 2013, the Belt and Road Initiative refers to the Silk Road Economic Belt and the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road, which aims to build a trade and infrastructure network connecting Asia with Europe, Africa and beyond along the ancient trade routes of the Silk Road.