Eritrea has seen real benefits from the joint efforts in the construction of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), said the former Eritrean ambassador to China, noting that the eight major initiatives launched by China in close collaboration with African countries are yielding rich fruits in Eritrea, leading the country towards a brighter future.

In Eritrea’s national laboratory for quality and safety control of aquatic products, Eritrean students experiment under the guidance of Chinese experts. (Photo/Lyu Qiang)

China has carried out multiple bilateral training sessions in Eritrea since 2018, with the training covering such fields as finance, broadcasting and television, health, diplomacy, engineering, agriculture, fishing and sport.

Two training sessions for senior engineers in fishery and aquatic products processing technologies, one held in Asmara, capital of Eritrea, and another one in Eritrea’s port city of Massawa, concluded recently.

A total of 35 officials from Eritrean government and frontline Eritrean engineers took part in the 30-day training session, during which 7 Chinese experts gave lessons covering such subjects as city planning, infrastructure, and engineering.

The lessons were fun, useful and necessary for these Eritrean officials and engineers, said an Eritrean engineer who participated in the training.

She has been an intern in the construction of a China-funded hospital and school in Eritrea, saying that Chinese friends are genuinely helping, and that she has learned from the professionalism of Chinese teachers.

Eritrea will expand cooperation with China and help more young engineers to learn new technologies overseas, said Abraha Asfaha, Eritrea’s Minister of Public Works and Construction, adding that he hopes more Chinese talents can impart their wisdom with Eritreans.

The 21-day training course held in Massawa on fishery and aquatic products processing technologies covered five major subjects, including industry development, protection and development of fishing resources, processing, and market development.

Nine Chinese experts from the fishing industry offered their expertise during the training session, which included seminars, field practice, and technical guidance activities. A total of 72 students from Eritrea’s Ministry of Fisheries, national fishery organizations, fishing companies, colleges and universities, as well as scientific research institutes took part in the training.

Chinese teachers have brought a lot of knowledge that cannot be learned from books, said a student from the aquaculture department of the Ministry of Fisheries of Eritrea.

China’s idea of sustainable development has provided enlightenment and reference for Eritrea to develop fishing resources, said the student, adding that it is believed that Eritrea will use the knowledge to increase the income of its people.

The fishing methods in Eritrea lag behind other countries, and the country’s freshwater aquaculture has just started, said an official of Eritrea’s fishery sector, noting that the country lacks processing equipment and technology and faces challenges in development.

The official said that he hopes China and Eritrea will strengthen cooperation to provide intellectual support for Eritrea’s fishery industry.

The Eritrean government has sent more than 1,100 people to various training sessions and research projects in China, and more than 400 Eritrean students have studied in China with scholarships from the Chinese government.

China has become Eritrea’s largest trading partner, source of foreign investment and project contractor.