From April 28 to May 4, 2019, Wei Ruihai, Vice President and Chief Economist of the Group Company, paid business visits to Morocco and Tunisia under the organization of the China-Africa Chamber of Commerce, and attended the AIM2019 Morocco Africa Investment Conference.

Group Photo with Representatives of Entrepreneurs from the China-Africa Civil Chamber of Commerce at the AIM Conference

The two-day African investment conference was held on April 29 in Rabat, Capital of Morocco. In the conference, Jing Ning, Economic Counselor of the Chinese Embassy in Morocco, Bai Xiaofeng, Executive Deputy Secretary-General of the China-Africa Civil Chamber of Commerce, Mr. Hicham Boudraa, CEO of the Moroccan Investment and Export Development Bureau, Ms. Candide Leguede, Representative of the Economic Community of West African States, Mr. Hassan Sentissi, President of the Moroccan Exporters Association, Ms. Lilia Hachem Naas, Representative of the North African Sub-region of the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa, and representatives from institutions such as the African Development Bank, the Oxford Business Group, the Islamic Development Bank, etc., delivered a speech on the current economic situation in Africa. All of guests have expressed their respective views to the opportunities, challenges and prospects of African investment. The African continent attracts investors from all over the world with its abundant natural resources, cheap labor and vast undeveloped markets. In order to attract business and investment, Governments from different countries have also introduced various preferential policies. Representatives from African countries such as Senegal, Togo, Liberia, Nigeria, Burkina Faso and other countries have made a detailed introduction about investment environment, preferential policies, investment fields and related project information. Vice President Wei Ruihai, also expressed representatives his intention to visit the above-mentioned countries.

During the visiting tour in Morocco, Vice President Wei Ruihai visited the Chinese Embassy in Morocco along with the Chamber of Commerce, and was warmly received by the Economic Counselor Jing Ning. Counselor Mr. Jing gave a detailed introduction to the political situation, economic development situation, investment environment and related laws and regulations in Morocco. At present, Morocco has a stable political situation, regulated market order, strict and transparent management, and relatively complete infrastructure. Investment in Morocco should be concentrated in the industrial sector, especially the development of new energy power generation and high-tech products and services.

Chamber of Commerce received by Jing Ning, Chinese Economic Counselor to Morocco

The visit to Tunisia was mainly arranged from 1st to 4th of May. Vice President Wei Ruihai visited the Chinese Embassy in Tunisia, Tunisian Foreign Investment Promotion Agency FIPA, Tunisian Technical Assistance Cooperation Bureau ATCT, Tunisian Enterprise Confederation CONECT, Tunisian Federation of Industry and Commerce UTICA, and visited the local olive oil mill and textile mill. . Wang Wenbin, Chinese Ambassador to Tunisia, and Zhang Fengling, Counselor of the Economic and Commercial Office, warmly welcomed the Chamber of Commerce. Ambassador Wang introduced Tunisia's unique local-featured investment advantages: it is located in the center of the Mediterranean, connecting Europe and Africa, and is also the intersection of Africa and Arab countries. Therefore, it has a superior geographical position. Meanwhile, it has signed free trade agreements with European and African countries, with import and export duty-free policy. The government attaches great importance to education. In addition to the 12-year compulsory education, vocational and technical education is relatively in high level, especially in engineering and medical, medical and other industries, and a large number of technical talents are exported to foreign countries. The government encourages investment, especially to attract investment from China. In addition, the ambassador suggested that Chinese companies can seek investment and cooperation opportunities in tourism, textiles, auto parts, food processing, phosphate export and new energy development, etc.

Group Photo with Wang Wenbin, Chinese Ambassador to Tunisia, and Zhang Fengling, Economic Counselor

During the visits and study of the above-mentioned government departments, institutions, associations and factories in Tunisia, the Chamber of Commerce was warmly received. The FIPA of the Tunisian Foreign Investment Promotion Agency and the Technical Assistance Cooperation Bureau ATCT gave a comprehensive introduction to their respective functions. They gave detailed explanations on their respective functions and services in the process of attracting investment, and expressed their warm intention to provide related services to the enterprises that makes investment and development in Tunisia. During the talks with the Tunisian Enterprise Confederation CONECT and the Federation of Industry and Commerce UTICA, entrepreneurs from China and Tunisia exchanged experiences on the management and development of their respective fields and reached preliminary intentions in cooperation with certain projects.

Symposium with Foreign Investment Promotion Agency FIPA of Tunisia

Thanks for Wang Jing’s contribution from Lei Jun-CA construction, Limited