中国发展网8月19日讯 2020年6月25日是中国与莫桑比克建交45周年纪念日，8月7日，莫桑比克驻华大使玛丽亚·古斯塔瓦在接受《中国经济导报》中国发展网编辑专访时高度评价莫中双边关系，“我们不仅要巩固目前已经取得的成绩，还要拓展和加深各个领域的合作。我们希望双方政府、企业和人民之间，实现全方位合作与交流。”
2016年两国建立全面战略合作伙伴关系，中国与莫桑比克的传统友谊和政治互信进一步加深，未来两国友好合作潜力巨大，发展可期。古斯塔瓦大使表示，尽管新冠疫情的传播对全球经济的发展带来了较大不确定性，对中国和世界经济造成严重冲击和重大挑战，但莫桑比克欢迎中国投资者的热情依旧，希望与中国加强国际间的合作诚意更浓。
“2020年中国第二季度的GDP比上年同期增长3.2%，尽管上半年中国经济为1.6%的负增长，但是在第二季度实现了经济‘V’形反弹，中国成为世界唯一的在有效控制疫情的同时，能够使经济快速恢复增长的主要经济体。”古斯塔瓦大使对中国有效控制疫情发展经济的成果表示肯定，“一带一路”倡议为非洲国家提高互联互通水平创造了难得的机遇。莫桑比克不仅可以成为非洲内陆国家的重要出海通道，还可以成为中国企业进入非洲大陆的重要门户。
莫桑比克地理位置图
莫桑比克位于非洲东南部，隔莫桑比克海峡与马达加斯加相望，是东南部非洲内陆国家重要出海口和区域性交通走廊，是“21世纪海上丝绸之路”在非洲的自然延伸。在2016年签署共同推进“一带一路”建设的谅解备忘录后，中莫两国还于2019年签署了共同推进“一带一路”建设的合作规划。
莫桑比克占据天然优越的地理位置，不仅仅拥有三大港口、铁路、油气管道、公路等基础设施，更是南部非洲发展共同体国家的门户，通过莫桑比克可以增强与南南共同体内陆国家互联互通。古斯塔瓦大使强调莫桑比克有着丰富的土地、矿产、水资源和丰富的油气资源，劳动力充足且受过教育、学习能力较强的青壮年人口基数大，非常有竞争力。在过去十年里，莫桑比克是撒哈拉南非洲经济增速最快的经济体之一。
此外，古斯塔瓦大使还提到莫桑比克将会提供极具吸引力的财政激励政策及其他扶持奖励政策，她举例说，莫桑比克与葡萄牙、毛里求斯、阿联酋、意大利、南非、印度、越南等国家和地区均签署了避免双重征税和逃税漏税协议。
据古斯塔瓦大使介绍，“万宝”中非农业项目采用公司加农户的合作方式，既提高了农户的积极性，也有利于当地农户更快的掌握先进的农业技术。每年稳定供应大米约1.3万吨以上，保障了项目所在地周边市场粮食安全，增强了莫桑比克民众抗疫信心，提高了当地人民生活水平。经营三年多，项目水稻粮食产量连年创新高，种植规模、每亩单产、合作农户方面实现了历史上的“三年三创第一”，并建立了小型农业生态示范园，促进了项目的可持续发展，为当地农业发展开辟出了一片新天地。
2018年11月，由中国路桥工程有限责任公司承建的马普托大桥及连接线项目正式通车，成为莫桑比克纵贯南北、连接南非的交通主干道的重要组成部分。其中，马普托大桥以3公里的全长和680米的主跨成为非洲第一大悬索桥，被两国政府称为“一带一路”建设在当地的旗舰项目。
除了马普托大桥，古斯塔瓦表示，贝拉渔码头修复项目是中莫友好关系的又一成果。该项目由中国进出口银行贷款融资、中国港湾公司承建，于2019年10月交付给当地政府。新修复的码头岸线长377米，拥有8个渔船泊位，并配有一座5000平方米的冷库，能够为大型渔船提供更加专业化的服务。
最近的一组数据显示，莫桑比克马普托港停靠船只规模创新纪录，自该码头完成一期重建以来，越来越多的腹地进出口商从该港口优越的供应链解决方案中受益，码头吞吐量呈指数增长，2019年较2018年增长了53％。在3月初的莫桑比克媒体《Carta de Moçambique》报道，莫桑比克统计局表明该国去年对中国出口的木材总值3,550万美元，同比增长12.7%。从以上两组数据可以看到未来莫桑比克的港口经济发展潜力巨大。
采访现场
据古斯塔瓦大使介绍，莫桑比克正在国内进行经济结构转型升级，努力提高国际竞争力与多元化，希望紧紧抓住经济全球化带来的机遇，莫桑比克一直将中国视为经济发展的重要合作伙伴，在经济转型升级的过程中则更加凸显这一伙伴关系的重要性。历史上两国合作的丰硕成果证明未来还有更广阔的合作空间，两国建立全面战略合作伙伴关系标志着双方都有决心进一步拓宽、加深两国合作关系。关于中莫两国合作的未来，古斯塔瓦大使希望与中国在惠及民生的项目上展开务实合作，充分挖掘人力资源潜能，并且按照市场需求组织培养人才梯队，通过建立职业教育机构扩大招生规模。
站在中莫建交45周年的历史节点上，古斯塔瓦大使表示出莫桑比克希望与中国在互相信任、互利共赢的基础上进行多领域的广泛合作的决心，她希望中莫两国最大限度地发挥彼此的优势，而基础设施、农业、能源、旅游业和制造业是莫桑比克优先发展的领域，蕴藏巨大发展潜力和发展机遇。（记者：刘沐琪 摄影：杨爽）
China-Mozambique celebrated 45th Anniversary of bilateral cooperation and their relationship goes deep
-- Interview with Mozambique Ambassador to China, H.E Maria Gustava
On June 25, 2020, Mozambique celebrated its 45th years of Independence, coinciding with the celebrations of 45 anniversary of the diplomatic relations between China and Mozambique. In this context, on August 7, Mozambican Ambassador to China, H.E. Maria Gustava talked to the China Economic Herald China Development network editor on the bilateral relations and underline that "we are not only consolidating our relationship and the achievements, but also expand and deepen cooperation in various fields. We hope to see all-round cooperation and exchanges between the governments, businesses and people to people of the two sides”.
The establishment of the comprehensive strategic partnership of cooperation between the two countries in 2016 has further deepened the traditional friendship and political mutual trust between China and Mozambique, and the bilateral friendly cooperation enjoys huge potential and promising prospects in the future. Ambassador Gustava said that although the spread of COVID-19 has brought great uncertainty to the development of the global economy and caused serious impact and major challenges to China and the world economy, Mozambique is still enthusiastic about welcoming Chinese investors and hopes to strengthen its sincerity in strengthening international cooperation with China.
"In the second quarter of 2020, China's GDP grew by 3.2% over the same period of last year. Despite the negative growth of 1.6% in the first half of the year, China's economy rebounded in a 'V' shape in the second quarter, making China the only major economy in the world capable of rapidly resuming economic growth while effectively controlling the epidemic." Ambassador Gustava praised China's achievements in effectively controlling the epidemic and developing its economy, saying that the "One Belt And One Road" initiative has created a rare opportunity for African countries to enhance connectivity. Mozambique can not only become an important sea passage for landlocked African countries, but also become an important gateway for Chinese enterprises to enter the African continent.
Geographical location of Mozambique
Mozambique is located in southeast Africa, facing Madagascar across the Mozambique Channel. It is an important outlet to the sea and a regional transportation corridor for landlocked countries in southeast Africa, and a natural extension of the "21st Century Maritime Silk Road" in Africa. Following the signing of the MOU on jointly promoting the "One Belt And One Road" in 2016, China and Mozambique signed a cooperation plan on jointly promoting the "One Belt And One Road" in 2018.
Mozambique occupies a natural and advantageous geographical position. It not only has three major ports, railways, oil and gas pipelines, roads and other infrastructure, but also serves as a gateway for the COUNTRIES of the Southern African Development Community (SADC). Through Mozambique, it can enhance connectivity with the landlocked countries of its region such as Malawi, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Eswatini, including South Africa. Ambassador Gustava stressed that Mozambique has fertile land, mineral resources, water resources and oil and gas resources, as well as a large young and competitive population and well-educated providing an adequate workforce. Mozambique has been one of sub-Saharan Africa's fastest growing economies over the past decade.
In addition, the Ambassador Gustava said that Mozambique provides attractive fiscal incentives and other supporting the reward policies, she said, for example that Mozambique and Portugal, Italy, South Africa, Mauritius, the united Arab emirates (UAE), India, Vietnam and other countries and regions have signed an agreement to avoid double taxation and tax evasion.
According to Ambassador Gustava, Wanbao Project in Gaza Province is being developed in cooperation with local farmers, therefore, not only improves the productivity of farmers, but also helps local farmers acquire advanced agricultural technologies. A steady supply of over 13,000 tons of rice each year has ensured the food security of the surrounding markets, strengthened the confidence of the Mozambican and improving the living standards of the local people. With more than 10 years of operation, the rice grain output of the project is reaching a new high year after year, and the planting scale, yield and cooperative farmers have achieved very good goals. A small-scale agricultural ecological demonstration park has been established, which promotes the sustainable development of the project and opens a new horizon for local agricultural development.
In November 2018, the Maputo Bridge and Connecting Line project, contracted by China Road and Bridge Engineering Co., Ltd. was officially opened to traffic, becoming an important part of the main road connecting the north and south of Mozambique and South Africa. Among them, Maputo Bridge with a length of 3 kilometers and a main span of 680 meters has become the largest suspension bridge in Africa, which is called by the two governments as "One Belt And One Road" flagship project built in the local area.
In addition to the Maputo Bridge, Gustava said that the Beira fishing Pier restoration project is another achievement of china-Mozambique friendly relations. The project, financed by a loan from The Export-Import Bank of China and built by China Harbor, was delivered to the local government in October 2019. The newly restored pier, with 377 meters of shoreline, eight berths for fishing vessels and a 5, 000-square-metre cold storage facility, can provide more specialized services for large fishing vessels.
A recent set of data shows that the port of Maputo in Mozambique has set a record for the number of ships docked. Since the completion of the first phase of the port's reconstruction, more and more hinterland importers and exporters have benefited from the port's superior supply chain solutions, with terminal throughput increasing exponentially, increasing by 53% in 2019 compared with 2018. In early March, Mozambican statistics bureau reported that the country exported timber worth $35.5 million to China last year, up 12.7 percent from a year earlier, Carta de Moçambique reported. From the above two sets of data, it can be seen that the port economic development potential of Mozambique is huge in the future.
At the scene of the interview
According to Ambassador Gustava, Mozambique’s transformation and upgrading of economic structure in the country, efforts to improve international competitiveness and diversification, and hope to seize the opportunities brought by economic globalization, China has been an important economic development partner of Mozambique, especially in the process of economic transformation and upgrading which is more highlights the importance of the partnership. The historic and fruitful cooperation between the two countries proves that there is still more room for cooperation in the future. The establishment of the comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership between the two countries marks the determination of both sides to further broaden and deepen bilateral cooperative relations. With regard to the future of china-Mozambique cooperation, Ambassador Gustava hoped to carry out practical cooperation with China on projects that benefit people's livelihood, fully tap the potential of human resources, organize talent training teams in accordance with market needs and expand the enrollment scale through the establishment of vocational education institutions.
Standing in the history of the 45th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the sides, Ambassador Gustava expressed Mozambican hope for further strengthening and expansion of bilateral and friendly relations with China on the basis of mutual trust, mutual benefit and win-win results in our fields of cooperation. She hopes that the two countries can maximize the strengths of each other and promote more cooperation in area of infrastructure, agriculture, energy, tourism and manufacturing as they constitute the priorities for the country and provide opportunities and potential for growth as well as for the economic development of Mozambique.
