Xi says China supports Tunisia's development path, opposes external interference

RIYADH - China firmly supports Tunisia in pursuing a development path suited to its national conditions, and opposes external interference in Tunisia's internal affairs, Chinese President Xi Jinping said Friday.

China believes that Tunisia has the wisdom and ability to safeguard national stability and development, Xi said while meeting with his Tunisian counterpart, Kais Saied, in the Saudi capital Riyadh.

During the meeting, the Chinese president said practical cooperation between the two countries in recent years has been on the rise despite challenges.

The Chinese side, overcoming the adverse impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, has carried out a number of health, sports and human resources training projects in Tunisia, providing impetus to the country's economic and social development, he added.

China, said Xi, is ready to steadily advance cooperation with Tunisia in such areas as health care, infrastructure and high and new technologies, expand exchanges between human resources as well as local and non-governmental exchanges, encourage competent Chinese enterprises to invest and do business in Tunisia, and welcome more marketable products and specialties from Tunisia to China.

China appreciates that Tunisia highly values the collective cooperation between China and Arab states and actively supports the collective cooperation between China and Africa, and is willing to work together with Tunisia to consolidate and deepen the bilateral friendly cooperative relationship so as to push for the greater development of China-Arab and China-Africa cooperation, he stressed.

For his part, Saied extended heartfelt congratulations on the success of the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China.

Noting that he highly agrees with Xi's important views, Saied said under the current international situation, no country can develop alone.

Countries worldwide should respect each other, take a new path of cooperation and mutual benefit, and solve the common problems facing the world today through close cooperation, he added.

China has always been on the side of international fairness and justice, said the Tunisian president, noting that the Global Development Initiative proposed by Xi embodies humanistic concerns and advanced visions, and is of great significance to enhancing the capacity of developing countries and achieving common development and progress of all countries.

Tunisia and China enjoy friendly relations and huge potential for cooperation, Saied said, adding that his country will always remember China's long-time valuable assistance to its economic and social development as well as its fight against the pandemic.

More and more young Tunisians are learning Chinese, who believe that China will play an increasingly important role in the world, Saied said.

The Tunisian side is firmly committed to expanding and deepening cooperation in various fields and stands ready to work with China to elevate bilateral relations to a new and higher level, Saied said.

The first China-Arab States Summit contains historical significance, and the Tunisian side will actively promote the further development of Arab-China relations, he added.