Island envoy sees rich potential in links with region

Madagascar's ambassador to China has called for deepening cooperation between his country and North China's Inner Mongolia autonomous region.

Victor Sikonina said Madagascar has vast potential that can attract investment in tourism, biodiversity, agriculture and animal husbandry. He said he was impressed with the commitment of the autonomous region's opening-up as China implements the Belt and Road Initiative.

The ambassador spoke during an event showcasing Inner Mongolia's "broad-mindedness and unlimited development potential" on July 21 at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Beijing.

The region is observing the 70th anniversary of becoming China's first autonomous region. Its energy, metallurgy, construction materials and agricultural sectors are growing rapidly, while its dairy, cashmere, beef and wheat industries are well established.

Last year, Inner Mongolia's GDP reached 1.86 trillion yuan ($276 billion) - an increase of 7.2 percent year-on-year.

"It is my hope that we can further expand our cooperation with Inner Mongolia as well as other regions in terms of tourism," Sikonina said. "We have rich resources for tourism. We have colorful flora and fauna, animal husbandry and agriculture."

He said his country has the highest volume of cattle on the African continent.

"Madagascar's cooperation aspirations are reflected in our national development strategy as well as the plans between China and Africa put forth by President Xi Jinping at the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation," the ambassador said.

Like the East African country, Inner Mongolia has vast potential in its booming tourism, agriculture and animal husbandry industries, according to the autonomous region's government, which says it has had more than 100 million head of livestock for 12 consecutive years and leads China's meat, cashmere and wool outputs.

Already, the island nation and Inner Mongolia enjoy investment cooperation. A cashmere factory set up in Madagascar by the autonomous region more than 10 years ago is providing jobs for more than 120,000 people in the African country, the ambassador said.

"It (the factory) has transferred the whole processing technology to Madagascar and has helped us with our capacity building," he said.

He hailed the cooperation between his country and the region, which is regarded as the dairy center of China due to its huge production of milk and other dairy products.

He said the investment by the company from Inner Mongolia has encouraged other enterprises to invest in Madagascar.

"I wish to express my appreciation to the company, which has also facilitated the industrialization of Madagascar. It has also taken an active part in philanthropic activities to help people in need in Madagascar."

The author is a journalist with FrontPage Africa based in Liberia who is visiting China Daily as part of a 10-month China-Africa Press Centre scholarship.

For China Daily

(China Daily Africa Weekly 07/28/2017 page28)