Maoulana Charif, Ambassador of Union of Comoros to China. Photo: Ji Xingzhao/Haiwainet

"We have just celebrated the 47th anniversary of the independence of Comoros on July 6. In 1975, China was the first country to recognize the independence of Comoros and establish diplomatic ties with our country. The Comorian people are deeply grateful for this." Ambassador of Union of Comoros to China Maoulana Charif said in the interview days ago that China has been offering important support to Comoros over the past 47 years.

Maoulana said that when people in Comoros talk about China, "a sincere friend and reliable brother" would first come to their mind. As for Comorians' special affinity for China, Maoulana has mentioned three keywords for many times: artemisinin, Minning Town and Hainan (a province in southern China) mango.

'China's friendship with and support for Comoros has been unconditional'

Malaria used to be a major threat to Comorian people for a long time. Chinese scientists first discovered and successfully extracted artemisinin, which brings hopes to the Comorian people to eliminate malaria in the country. "Thanks to artemisinin, Comoros will hopefully be among those African countries to eliminate malaria in 2025."

Since 2007, experts from Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine and other institutes have initiated the Fast Elimination of Malaria by Source Eradication (FEMSE) project in Comoros by widely using artemisinin combination therapies (ACT) to kill the plasmodium in human body. With unremitting efforts, Comoros has realized zero malaria deaths and seen a drop of more than 90 percent in the number of cases. These achievements are miraculous. The Comorian people keep firmly in mind the assistance of Chinese medical workers. Experts from Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine were awarded the Comoros presidential medals.

For many Comorian people, Chinese doctors are as close to them as families. This friendship has lasted for nearly 30 years. Since 1994, batches of Chinese medical teams have brought healthcare services to the Comorian people. "Chinese doctors are always there when patients in Comoros are in need. To better communicate with local patients, they try to learn the Comorian language. Chinese doctors have also worked closely with their counterparts in Comoros. Each batch of Chinese medical teams has been highly praised. China's friendship with and support for Comoros has been unconditional," Maoulana said.

Comorian ethnic ornaments. Photo: Comoros National Tourist Office

'Chinese films and TV series have always been popular in Comoros'

According to Maoulana, the Chinese TV series Minning Town is another keyword connecting China and Comoros. From late 2021 to early 2022, the French version of Minning Town was broadcast in Comoros. A huge hit in China, this TV drama also attracted lots of fans in Comoros.

"Chinese films and TV series have always been popular in Comoros. Almost all people in Comoros have watched movies about Chinese kung fu. Personally, I like Wolf Warriors very much and I have watched it several times." Maoulana laughed and said. He can pronounce the word Wolf Warriors in Chinese very well. Different from Chinese kung fu movies, Minning Town has opened a new window for the Comorian people to know more about China. From likeable characters who live in the countryside of Northwest China to stories of turning a desolate land into a golden land of prosperity, Maoulana has seen a vivid example of China's victory in its battle against poverty from Minning Town. He said, "Minning Town inspires young people in Comoros to fight against poverty and gives us much enlightenment."

"Lucid waters and lush mountains are invaluable assets," "putting people in the first place"... Maoulana is very familiar with these most cited lines in China. "China has made remarkable achievements over the past decade, which has attracted great attention from African countries, including Comoros." Maoulana said, "China is believed to make more progress in the future and contribute more to promoting South-South cooperation and world peace and development."

Tropical fish in the Moheli Marine Park of Comoros. (Photo/the Comoros National Tourist Office)

'The nine programs of China-Africa cooperation meet the current development needs of Comoros very well'

Maoulana said, Hainan mango is the third keyword that brings people in the two countries closer. He said, the first visit to China paid by the president of Comoros was in November 1988 when president of Comoros Ahmed Abdallah visited Hainan, where the weather and vegetation are very similar to those in Comoros. In particular, mangoes grown in Hainan reminded Abdallah of his hometown. "Because of this good memory, I hope that sister cities will be established between some regions in Comoros and cities in Hainan, China." said Maoulana. 

It is Maoulana's wish to deepen China-Comoros practical cooperation. Over the past 47 years, bilateral cooperation has delivered outstanding results: the water-supply project at Nioumakélé, people's palace, government office building, presidential mansions, TV and broadcasting building, airports and other major infrastructure projects in Comoros, and all of these couldn't be achieved without the hard work of Chinese builders; in 2013, as China's Digital Television Terrestrial Multimedia Broadcasting (DTMB) demonstration project made breakthroughs in Comoros, Comoros has become the first African country to use the DTMB Chinese standard as official broadcasting standard; China has offered preferential loans to Comoros' undersea cable projects, which helps to largely improve the scale and transmission capability of the country's telecommunication network... "I'd like to take this opportunity to thank China for its support for Comoros in many areas. The outcomes delivered by our cooperation can be seen from many ways of Comoros' economic and social development."

Comorian girl La Yisha experiences dragon dance at Sias University in Zhengzhou, Henan Province. Photo: Yuan Chen/Xinhua News Agency

Maoulana said, the nine programs China announced in the Dakar Conference of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) in late 2021 have brought about new opportunities for deepening bilateral relations. He attaches great importance to the investment promotion program, one of the nine programs. In this program, China will undertake 10 industrialization and employment promotion projects for Africa, provide credit facilities of 10 billion US dollars to African financial institutions and support the development of African SMEs on a priority basis... All of these are opportunities for Comoros. "China respects other countries' special needs and expectations in international cooperation," said Maoulana. "The nine programs of China-Africa cooperation meet the current development needs of Comoros very well."