25 November 2025

Thank you, Chair.

First of all, I would like to extend my warm welcome to the delegation of Tunisia led by Minister Samir ABID. I also want to express my gratitude to the Discussant, Ambassador Manuel TEEHANKEE for your insightful remarks, and to the Secretariat for their dedicated work.

China commends the Republic of Tunisia for its commitment to domestic reform and the economic achievements attained during this review period. Despite the domestic structural challenges, Tunisia has demonstrated economic resilience, introduced institutional reforms and sectoral strategies. In trade policy, Tunisia has continued to improve trade openness, promoted export diversification and market expansion. In investment, Tunisia’s Investment Law introduced the principle of ‘freedom of investment,’ and provided incentives to attract foreign investment, enabling the country to better integrate into global value chains. Institutionally, the launch of the Tunisia Vision 2035 Programme and National Reform Programme have set out the country’s broad economic policy guidelines and laid the groundwork for further economic attractiveness.

On the multilateral front, China appreciates Tunisia's active and constructive role in the multilateral trading system. Tunisia has consistently upheld the rule-based WTO framework,increased the number of notifications submitted, made progress in implementing the Trade Facilitation Agreement, and participated for the first time in the dispute settlement procedures. We note with pleasure that Tunisia is currently in the process of ratifying the Agreement on Fisheries Subsidies and encourage Tunisia to expedite the process. We share its view that international trade should serve as a lever for inclusive prosperity for all WTO Members, and that restoring a well and fully functioning dispute settlement system is apriority and cornerstone of the system's credibility. We look forward to Tunisia’s early join the IFD Agreement, which aligns well with its goal of attracting more foreign investment. We also hope that Tunisia will give positive consideration to join the E-Commerce Agreement, the JSI on Services Domestic Regulation, and the MPIA in the near future.

Bilaterally, China and Tunisia have shared long-standing friendship, witnessed by elevation of our bilateral relations to a strategic partnership in 2024. Both countries have vigorously advanced cooperation under the Belt and Road Initiative, the China-Arab States Cooperation Forum, and the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation. From 2019 to 2024, our bilateral trade has nearly doubled, with China’s imports from Tunisia in 2024 experiencing a great increase. China’s investment in Tunisia has also made breakthrough, highlighted by the landmark CJO acquisition project, the largest single FDI in the history of China–Tunisia relations, and the establishment of an overseas plant of a Chinese automotive manufacturer in Tunisia. These projects will bring in advanced production equipment and technologies, enhance low-carbon efficiency, generate local employment, and support export growth. This will resonate with Tunisia’s National Strategy for Industry and Innovation 2035. In addition, Chinese enterprises are engaged in the construction of a large-scale photovoltaic power stations in Tunisia, contributing to the implementation of the Tunisian Solar Plan, which aims to increase the share of renewable energy to 30 percent of electricity generation by 2030.

China is ready to grant 100 percent zero-tariff treatment for Tunisia, within the framework of the Economic Partnership for Shared Development. In this context, we hope to further accelerate negotiations so that this commitment can be implemented as soon as possible and Tunisia can benefit more from China’s vast market. In addition, both sides are making arrangements for the signing of a Mutual Recognition Agreement (MRA) on AEOs which will enhance trade facilitation and benefit businesses on both sides.

China encourages Tunisia to further facilitate trade, enhance customs clearance efficiency, reduce tariffs and non-tariff barriers, increase transparency in trade and investment policies to support long-term development and competitiveness. China appreciates Tunisia’s responses to our written questions and China wishes this TPR a full success.

Thank you.