Interview: Partnership with China fruitful, brings tangible results, says Malagasy FM

"Partnership with China is fruitful and brings tangible results," Rafaravavitafika Rasata, Madagascar's foreign minister, has said.

CHANGSHA, June 20 (Xinhua) -- "Partnership with China is fruitful and brings tangible results," Rafaravavitafika Rasata, Madagascar's foreign minister, has said.

Madagascar and China have shared a long tradition of friendship and cooperation since they established diplomatic relations more than half a century ago, Rasata said during the fourth China-Africa Economic and Trade Expo (CAETE), running on June 12-15 in Changsha, capital of China's central Hunan province.

Despite global uncertainties, including supply chain disruptions and geopolitical tensions, this momentum has been strengthened, since "both sides share a strong commitment to maintaining economic growth and … stimulating bilateral trade," she said.

The ten partnership actions for modernization, proposed by China at the 2024 Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation last September, have enhanced their cooperation in all areas, the minister said.

Madagascar hopes to "truly forge fruitful partnerships" by promoting its exports to China through the CAETE, she said.

Noting that the top priorities of the Malagasy government are agricultural transformation, energy transition and industrialization, she said, "China is a true partner in these three areas."

She said that agricultural cooperation with China, promoted by experts such as Yuan Longping, the renowned Chinese scientist, has accelerated Madagascar's agricultural transformation through hybrid rice technology.

Regarding energy cooperation, co-building a hydroelectric power plant with China will boost the country's energy output and optimize its energy mix, she said.

When it comes to infrastructure, "China has always been on the side of Madagascar," she said, adding that building roads and improving port and airport capacity are helping Madagascar "make a difference."

On cooperation with China on the development of African youth, she said that Chinese institutions such as the Luban Workshop and the Confucius Institute have enabled young Madagascans to improve their technical skills and Chinese language proficiency.

Applauding initiatives proposed by China, including the Belt and Road Initiative, Rasata said that Madagascar would enhance mutually beneficial partnerships with China to build a community with a shared future for mankind. ■