Mauritania

Note: This column mainly includes countries along the Belt and Road and countries that have signed cooperation agreements with China on Belt and Road Initiative.

In 2013, the friendly relations between the People's Republic of China and the Islamic Republic of Mauritania continued to advance steadily with fruitful exchanges and cooperation in various fields.

The two countries enjoyed friendly exchanges at all levels. In March, President of Mauritania Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz sent a congratulatory letter to President Xi Jinping on his assumption of office. Mauritanian Minister of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation Hamadi Ould Hamadi sent a congratulatory letter to Foreign Minister Wang Yi on his assumption of office. In April, President Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz sent a letter to President Xi Jinping, expressing sympathies over the earthquake that struck Lushan, Sichuan Province. President of Mauritanian Economic and Social Council Mohamed Ould Haimer visited China and met with CPPCC Chairman Yu Zhengsheng and Chairman of China Economic and Social Council Wang Gang. In September, Foreign Minister Wang Yi sent a congratulatory message to the new Mauritanian Minister of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation Ahmed Ould Teguedi on his assumption of office.

Economic cooperation and trade between the two countries made steady progress. Two-way trade continued to expand, and China remained Mauritania's top trading partner. Mutually beneficial cooperation enjoyed a good momentum in the fields of infrastructure, mining and fishery. The China-assisted project of the medical college building of the University of Nouakchott was completed. The projects of building two demonstration centers, one for agricultural technologies and the other for animal husbandry technologies, were launched.

Exchanges and cooperation in cultural and military fields moved forward smoothly. In July, officials from the two ministries of culture agreed on the text of the Executive Program of the Cultural Agreement Between the Government of the People's Republic of China and the Government of the Islamic Republic of Mauritania for the Years 2013 to 2017. In November, Mauritanian Army Chief of Staff Gen. Mohamed Ghazouani visited China. State Councilor and Defense Minister Gen. Chang Wanquan met with him, and Chief of General Staff Fang Fenghui had talks with him.