Sincetheestablishmentofdiplomaticrelations,ChinaandEgypthavesoughtcommondevelopmentandexpandedtheareasforcooperation.Today,withChinaspearheadingtheBeltandRoadInitiativeandEgypthavinglauncheditsSuezCanalCorridorDevelopmentProject,thetwocountriesareinanewstageofdevelopmentwithnewopportunities.SongAiguo,theChineseAmbassadortoEgypt,shareshisviewswithChinAfricareporterLiuJianonthefutureofChina-Egypteconomicandtradecooperation.Excerptsoftheinterviewfollow:
WehopetopresenttothelocalpeopletraditionalChineseculture,avibrantdevelopingChina,andthepositivespiritoftheChinese.It鈥檚importanttodeepenunderstandingbetweenourpeoplesandenhancemutualfriendship.
ChinAfrica:WhileChinaisdevelopingitsBeltandRoadInitiative,EgyptisspeedingupthedevelopmentofitsSuezCanalCorridorDevelopmentProject.Whatnewopportunitieswillthetwoinitiativesbring?
SongAiguo:TheBeltandRoadInitiative,firstproposedbyChinesePresidentXiJinpingin2013,comprisestheSilkRoadEconomicBeltand21stCenturyMaritimeSilkRoad,whichwouldbetterconnectAsian,EuropeanandAfricancountries.TheSuezCanalCorridorDevelopmentisalong-termprojectmeanttotransformthecanalareaintoaglobaleconomichub,withindustrial,technologicalandagriculturalzonesandmajorresidentialareas.China,asanemerging,developingcountrywithrichindustrialcapacity,capitalandtechnologyadvantages,couldbeapreferredpartnerindevelopingtheSuezproject.
DuringXi鈥檚visittoEgyptthisJanuary,ChinaandEgyptsignedamemorandumofunderstandingonjointlyimplementingtheBeltandRoadInitiative,aswellasanumberofothercooperationagreementscoveringareassuchaselectricity,space,infrastructureandtrade.TheSilkRoadFund,theAsianInfrastructureInvestmentBankandChinaAfricaDevelopmentFundproposedbyChinawillprovidestrongsupportforinvestmentandfinancing.Thetwocountriescomplementeachotherandhavecoordinatedwellinmanyfields.Thereishugecooperationpotentialfortheminfieldsliketrade,investment,energy,transportation,portlogisticsandaerospacescienceandtechnology.
EgyptisabigArabandAfricancountry.ThestrategiccooperationbetweenChinaandEgyptwillgobeyondbilateralscope,boostingtheoveralllevelofcooperationbetweenChinaandArabandAfricancountries.
What鈥檚theprospectforChina-Egypteconomicandtradecooperation?WhatistheimpactoftheChina-EgyptSuezEconomicandTradeCooperationZoneonbilateralties?
Despitetheweakglobaleconomicrecoveryin2015,China-Egypteconomicandtradecooperationmaintainedagooddevelopmentmomentum.Bilateraltradereached$12.9billion,almostdoublethatin2010,whenIwasappointedambassadorandcametoEgypt.In2015,thevalueofChina鈥檚newlysignedprojectcontractsinEgyptamountedto$3.46billion,hittingarecordhigh.China鈥檚non-financialdirectinvestmentinEgyptreached$728million.Bytheendoftheyear,China鈥檚totalactualinvestmenthadexceeded$6billion.
TheChina-EgyptSuezEconomicandTradeCooperationZone,China鈥檚onlystate-leveloverseaseconomicandtradezoneintheMiddleEastlaunchedin2008,isamodelofChina-Africacooperation.Withitsfirstphaseofconstructioncomplete,thezonehasattracted32manufacturingcompaniesand30servicebusinesses.Constructiononthesecondphasehasstarted.Besidesprovidingjobopportunitiestothousandsandtraininglocaltechnicalworkers,thecooperationzonealsoplaysanimportantroleinenhancingbilateralindustrialcooperationanddrivingpragmaticcooperationininvestmentandfinancing.
InwhichareashaveChinesecompaniesmainlyinvestedinEgypt?
Chineseenterpriseshaveexpandedtheirscaleandareaofinvestmentmainlyinenergy,manufacturing,telecommunications,andinfrastructureconstruc-tion.Investmentinoilandgasexplorationandoilfieldservicesaccountsfor84percentofthetotalChineseinvestment.ThemajorcompaniesincludeSinopecInternationalPetroleumExplorationandProductionCorp.,SinoTharwaDrillingCo.,andtheHonghuaGroup,alarge-scaleequipmentmanufactureranddrillingserviceprovider.Investmentbymanufacturingenterprisesaccountfor12percentofthetotalandtheyincludenameslikeJushiEgyptforFiberglassIndustryandHuachenAutomotiveGroup.Telecommunications,shippingandotherserviceenterprises,accountingfortheremaining4percentoftheinvestment,includeHuawei,ZTEandChinaOceanShippingCorp.
WhilerunningbusinessesinEgypt,Chineseenterprisesalsopayattentiontotheircorporatesocialresponsibility.Forinstance,duringtheperiodoffastinginRamadanin2015,theChineseChamberofCommerceinEgyptandtheChinesePeopleAssociationinEgyptincooperationwithlocalcharityorganizationsoffered300freemealsdaily,thedonationexceeding150,000Egyptianpound($16,890).
Whatarethecomplementaryadvantagesofthetwocountriesinproductioncapacitycooperation?
Egypthasbeenpromotingindustrializationandmodernization,attractinginvestment,creatingjobopportunitiesandboostingtheeconomy,whileChinaisconductingeconomicrestructuringandindustrytransformationandupgrading.ChinawouldbeanidealpartnerforEgyptinitsindustrializationprocess.Therecanbehugepotentialforcooperation.
Currently,EgyptisspeedinguptheconstructionoftheNewSuezCanal,power,energy,railwaysandportsinfrastructureaswellasindustrialization.Withitsrichhumanresourcesandgeographicadvantage,Egypthasgreatpotentialfordevelopment.Chineseenterpriseshaveadvancedequipment,maturetechnologyandexperience.TheycanalsohelptheEgyptiansidegetfinancingforprojects.Thetwosidescomplementeachotherinindustrialcapacitycooperation.
WhatarethehighlightsoftheChineseCultureYearinEgypt?WhatkindofimagewilltheculturaleventspresenttoEgyptians?
Incelebrationofthe60thanniversaryoftheestablishmentofdiplomaticrelations,ChinaandEgypthavejointlylaunchedtheChineseCultureYearinEgyptandtheEgyptianCultureYearinChina.Over40culturalactivitiesonthetheme鈥淔ashionable,DevelopingandProgressiveChina鈥漺illbeheldinEgypt.Theywillincludefashionshows,musicanddanceperformances,Chinesemartialartsperformances,painting,calligraphyandphotoexhibitions,filmscreeningsandanarchaeologyforum.WehopetopresenttothelocalpeopletraditionalChineseculture,avibrantdevelopingChina,andthepositivespiritoftheChinese.It鈥檚importanttodeepenunderstandingbetweenourpeoplesandenhancemutualfriendship.
Whatdoyouthinkoftheincreasingpeople-to-peopleandculturalexchangesbetweenthetwocountries?
Inrecentyears,alongwithdeepeningSinoEgyptianrelations,ourculturalexchangeshavetransformedfromameregovernmentinitiativeintoanewpatterncharacterizedbythegovernment鈥檚leadingroleandtheparticipationofallsectorsinsociety.Culturalandpeople-to-peopleexchanges,includingartsandculturalappreciationandstudentexchanges,havebeenenrichedandexpanded.Theyareagoodsupplementtointergovernmentalexchanges,promotingmutualunderstandingandfriendshipinamoredown-toearthway.
AnEgyptian-ChineseconsortiumisbuildingEgypt鈥檚newcapitalcity,whichhasbeendubbeda鈥済lobalcityforEgypt鈥檚future.鈥滺owwillthisprojectbenefitEgypt?
DuringPresidentXi鈥檚visittoEgypt,ChinaStateConstructionEngineeringCorp.andEgypt鈥檚HousingMinistrysignedapackageofagreementsfortheCapitalCairoproject.Ithasfoursubprojects:amajorconferencecenter,ministries,theparliamentbuilding,andafairzone,withaconstructionareaofabout1.19millionsquaremeters.TheCapitalCairoprojectwouldeffectivelyextendgreaterCairoasfarastheRedSeaportcityofSueztoeasecongestionandoverpopulationinthecrowdedcapital.ItisexpectedtobecomethenewpoliticalcenteranddrivethedevelopmentoftheNewSuezCanalCorridorandtheRedSeaEconomicBelttoboosttheeconomyandfulfillthegovernment鈥檚economicrecoveryplan.CA