Access point to continent

A forthcoming free trade agreement could energize an ancient commercial route between China and Mauritius, forging a gateway centuries in the making

For China, there could hardly be a more welcoming entryway to Africa than Mauritius. It is believed that the noted explorer Zheng He received China's first greeting from the continent here during his 15th century voyage, beginning the original Asia-Africa maritime trade route.

The commercial legacy exists to the present day and is observable through the island's influential Sino-Mauritian minority, which has flourished under a politically stable and fair system that has become the talk of Africa.

It is reasonable to say that the Indian Ocean island nation has a reputation for punching above its weight.

Mauritius is consistently ranked the No 1 place on the continent for the ease of doing business by the World Bank's eponymous index, is among the three least-corrupt nations in Sub-Saharan Africa according to Amnesty International, only ranked below Botswana and Cape Verde, and is Africa's second-richest nation, with a per capita GDP of nearly $19,000, World Bank data shows.

Far from its days as a stopover for spice trade, Mauritius is now defined by its afordable luxury tourism and rising role as a cross-continental financial center, industries that will be spurred by a new air corridor and a bilateral free trade agreement currently in discussions.

"The realization of a free trade agreement between Mauritius and China will open up vast opportunities for more commercial and cross-border investment," said Mauritian Prime Minister Pravind Jugnauth during an April ceremony celebrating 45 years of bilateral relations between the nations.

"The relationship between Africa and China has developed into a lasting partnership, with the fundamental principles of solidarity, friendship and mutual benefit," he added.

Mauritius is hoping to double the number of Chinese tourists it receives in the coming years, and with better air connectivity between the two countries, hotels are increasingly employing more Chinese-speaking staf.

Among the companies leading the welcoming party is Club Med Mauritius. "It's very important to welcome our Chinese guests with people from their own culture and language," said Lionel Benzoni, director of Club Med Mauritius, operator of three resorts on the island - Club la Pointe aux Canonniers, Club Med La Plantation d'Albion and The Albion Villas - which are proving popular with Chinese.

"In Club Med d'Albion, about 30 percent of our guests are Chinese, which makes us the resort with the highest proportion of Chinese visitors," Benzoni said.

For new investors in Africa, Mauritius' centuries-long reputation for trade is only the beginning. The island's rising stake in global finance and upcoming smart cities will further attract capital, with new visa-on-arrival regulations for Chinese people that will make working and vacationing in Mauritius easier than ever.

(China Daily 05/24/2017 page6)