Chinese Ambassador to Tunisia Wan Li Discusses New Economic Partnership Convention
The Chinese Ambassador to Tunisia, Wan Li, stated on Thursday, November 20, 2025, that the newly signed Economic Partnership Convention for mutual development with Tunis aims primarily to enhance the competitiveness of Tunisian products in the Chinese market and expand Tunisian exports.
Key Points of the Convention
In an interview with Mosaique Fm, Ambassador Wan Li highlighted that:
- Achieving a total balance between the exports and imports of the two countries remains challenging.
- He has been working to increase Chinese investment presence in Tunisia since his arrival, noting significant progress in this area.
- A Chinese company is interested in collaborating with Tunisia for phosphate exploration and is awaiting official authorization from Tunisian authorities.
Recent Chinese Investments in Tunisia
Ambassador Wan Li also revealed that:
- A Chinese company has recently invested over $10 million in an automotive components factory in Ben Arous.
- Another Chinese company has invested nearly $140 million in a cement factory, one of the largest Chinese direct investments in Tunisia.
China's Economic Partnership with Africa
On another note, the ambassador recalled that:
- Beijing announced in 2024 its intention to negotiate a framework economic partnership agreement with African countries, particularly in facilitating trade.
- During the September 2024 Sino-African Cooperation Forum (FOCAC), China decided to grant duty-free access to taxable imported products for the least developed countries with diplomatic relations, including 33 African nations, effective December 1, 2024.
Global Trade Developments
Finally, Ambassador Wan Li mentioned a significant change in global trade that occurred at the beginning of 2025, referring to the imposition of unilateral customs tariffs by a major power (alluding to the United States) on many countries, resulting in increased difficulties for all economies, especially African ones.
