Interview: Mauritanian president lauds strong ties with China, eyes closer cooperation

Mauritanian President Mohamed Ould Cheikh El Ghazouani speaks during an interview with Xinhua and other major Chinese media outlets at the Mauritanian Presidency in Nouakchott, Mauritania, on July 17, 2025. Ghazouani said he takes profound pride in the strong and enduring friendship between Mauritania and China and looks forward to broader and deeper bilateral cooperation. (Xinhua/Han Xu)

by Xinhua writers Xin Jianqiang, Si Yuan

NOUAKCHOTT, July 22 (Xinhua) -- Mauritanian President Mohamed Ould Cheikh El Ghazouani said he takes profound pride in the strong and enduring friendship between Mauritania and China and looks forward to broader and deeper bilateral cooperation.

In a recent interview with Xinhua and other major Chinese media outlets at the Mauritanian Presidency, Ghazouani expressed sincere congratulations on the 60th anniversary of Mauritania-China diplomatic ties.

Based on cooperation, mutually beneficial exchanges and full respect, relations between the two countries remain firm and strong six decades on, he said, pointing to the significant bilateral coordination on international issues of common concern, often marked by identical positions.

"We always strive to continue strengthening these relations in a way that serves the aspirations of our two friendly peoples," added the president.

Ghazouani noted that since he was first elected president in 2019, cooperation between Mauritania and China has witnessed remarkable development, which was reinforced when the two countries lifted their relations to a strategic partnership in 2024.

Now bilateral cooperation has been expanded to cover such areas as infrastructure, fishing, health, education, energy, industry, transport and digital technology, and renewed development initiatives through which "we count on developing and diversifying the national economy," he added.

Speaking highly of his meetings with Chinese President Xi Jinping, Ghazouani said that during those meetings, he felt Xi's sincere commitment and tireless pursuit to strengthen partnership with African countries in general, and with Mauritania in particular.

He added that he also sensed a strong insistence from Xi on China's readiness to assist the least developed countries, especially those in Africa, helping them overcome the development challenges they face, while maintaining transparent relations based on mutual respect and common interests.

That insistence, he said, deeply reflects Xi's recognized leadership qualities and his keenness to develop China's relations with countries around the world within a framework of mutual respect and cooperation based on fairness and equity.

Noting that China is a major trading partner of Mauritania, Ghazouani said bilateral trade has witnessed an accelerating dynamic. In 2024, trade between the two countries reached some 2.42 billion U.S. dollars, up 7.8 percent year on year.

The African country, said the president, desires to strengthen the trading partnership by attracting more Chinese investments with promising opportunities in such fields as minerals, clean energy and infrastructure, as well as with tax incentives and Mauritania's important strategic location.

Commenting on the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), Ghazouani said it is one of the most pioneering initiatives launched by China in recent years to expand and diversify China's economic relations with countries around the world, and to enhance partnerships and create promising investment opportunities.

Mauritania, he stressed, has strongly supported and will continue to support the initiative.

He noted that driven by the BRI, bilateral cooperation has extended to vital development areas, with Chinese companies actively participating in Mauritania's major infrastructure projects, such as the Rosso Bridge connecting Mauritania and Senegal, the China-Mauritania Friendship Overpass, and Tanit port.

China's contributions to rice cultivation have directly enhanced Mauritania's food security, he said, adding that Chinese investments have also helped add value to Mauritanian marine products, create local jobs, and modernize his country's mobile phone networks and internet services.

Emphasizing that Mauritania is working to achieve a comprehensive, sustainable and smooth transition from fossil fuels to renewable energies, Ghazouani said his country -- rich in solar energy, wind and green hydrogen -- encourages investment in these renewable energies, and strongly supports creating Mauritanian-Chinese partnerships that will help place Mauritania at the forefront of energy transition at the continental level.

The president also stressed the importance of people-to-people exchanges, particularly among the young generations. Cultural and linguistic exchange programs play a prominent role, as they have "a great impact on rapprochement, deepening relations, and building bridges of cooperation and understanding between Mauritania and China," he added.

As regards the Africa-China relationship, Ghazouani said it is a unique model that forms a solid basis for comprehensive and sustainable cooperation and development between the two sides.

The rapid growth of the Chinese economy and the encouraging investment opportunities in the African market are promising indicators of the possibility for the two sides to further tap into their economic cooperation potential, said the president.

"This is a path towards achieving mutual benefit in a more fair and equitable manner in a global system that requires significant review and deep reform in financial and economic governance, among others," he said.

The Mauritanian president said he is keen on adopting an active and balanced diplomacy that embraces the rules of mutual respect and good neighborliness, and contributes to promoting fruitful and constructive cooperation, as well as supporting the spread of security, peace and stability regionally, continentally and internationally.

With the second China-Arab States Summit scheduled to take place in China in 2026, Ghazouani said Arab-China relations have continued to grow and strengthen due to their solid foundations, as well as the keenness of both sides to promote comprehensive, fruitful and constructive cooperation.

Mauritania, he added, attaches great importance to enhancing Arab-China relations, and is working diligently to contribute to building a firm strategic partnership between the two sides. ■