NOUAKCHOTT, July 21 (Xinhua) -- Relations between Mauritania and China have steadily developed since diplomatic ties were established on July 19, 1965, and are now at their best point in history, Yarbane Kharrachi, an adviser to the minister of higher education and scientific research, has said.

In an opinion piece published Sunday on the Arab-language online news portal elfikr.net, Kharrachi, also president of the Association of Mauritanian Alumni of Chinese Universities, noted that the Mauritania-China friendship has become a model for South-South cooperation.

From the outset, bilateral ties have been built on mutual respect, solidarity, non-interference, and win-win cooperation, gradually expanding across key sectors and injecting sustained momentum into Mauritania's development, the author said.

Over the past six decades, Mauritania and China have supported each other on issues concerning their core interests and have maintained a consistent position on major international affairs, Kharrachi said.

"It is a relationship that was not merely a matter of diplomatic protocols, but rather was and still is a living pulse flowing through the arteries of the two countries, manifested in giant projects, starting with the Friendship Port and ending with the Friendship Bridge, passing through hospitals and roads that have facilitated the lives of Mauritanian citizens," he said.

"These projects are not just concrete structures, but living testaments to China's commitment to supporting Mauritania on its path to progress and prosperity," Kharrachi said.

China, now Mauritania's largest trading partner, was also considered one of the largest donor and investor countries in Mauritania, having implemented around 100 projects in various fields over the past 40 years, he said.

"Its presence in the national economy has become strong, given its importance and direct impact on the lives of every Mauritanian citizen. The COVID-19 pandemic is not far off, as China has proven to be the best friend in times of need," Kharrachi said.

In recent years, he said, bilateral relations have entered a fast track, yielding remarkable results. The two sides signed a cooperation plan for jointly building the Belt and Road, and Mauritania formally joined the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank.

The relationship has since been upgraded to a strategic partnership. Mauritania's signing of the Convention on the Establishment of the International Organization for Mediation further indicates that Mauritania-China relations are embracing unprecedented opportunities for growth, Kharrachi said.

The Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) has opened broader space for cooperation, he said, noting that currently, bilateral cooperation is advancing in three key directions:

-- Aligning development strategies by leveraging Mauritania's geographic strengths to promote the building of an Africa-China community with a shared future;

-- Expanding digital economy cooperation through the "Digital Silk Road," enabling win-win outcomes in cross-border e-commerce, smart ports, and remote education;

-- Deepening green development cooperation, including multilateral partnerships in clean energy, environmental protection, and mineral value chains, to help Africa tackle climate change and energy transition.

Mauritania and China have broad prospects for cooperation in renewable energy development and green infrastructure, which can help enhance energy access in sub-Saharan Africa, drive regional industrialization and agricultural modernization, Kharrachi said.

"Trilateral Mauritanian-Arab-Chinese cooperation to develop renewable energy and value chains in the mining industry in Mauritania could create a significant opportunity to enhance energy access in sub-Saharan Africa and create the necessary conditions for industrial transformation and agricultural modernization in the sub-region," he said.

"This would lay the foundation for building a closer, multifaceted Africa-China community with a shared destiny in the new era," Kharrachi added. ■