Interview: China's economic development drives global growth, says Egyptian expert

CAIRO, March 13 (Xinhua) -- China's economic development serves as a primary driving force for global economic development, benefiting Chinese people while contributing to global growth, said Tarek el-Sonoty, deputy editor-in-chief of Egypt's state-run Al-Ahram newspaper.

"The importance of the Chinese role as a world economic engine has been recognized during the COVID-19 pandemic and the global disruption in supply chains," Sonoty told Xinhua in a recent interview.

He reiterated that China's growth rates in recent years were not "luck," but a tangible result of stable and firm policies pursued by the country.

China aims to strengthen economic cooperation and trade relations with other countries while boosting coordination among different economic groupings by creating investment access to the Chinese market, according to Sonoty.

He emphasized that China's high-level opening-up enhances cooperation with other countries based on common interests.

"China has been emerging as the epicenter of the industrial world," he added, noting that China's economic policies were the main pillar for the eradication of absolute poverty, a remarkable accomplishment of China, and "a lesson to learn from" for the rest of the world.

Sonoty also noted that China's various projects in developing countries have delivered multi-faceted benefits to these countries, as China offered them feasibility studies, mechanisms of implementation, and funding sources, among others.

He underscored that China is open to the world and seeks to provide its experience for global good. Noting that the Chinese leadership has proposed several initiatives for the prosperity of mankind, he singled out the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), which supports developing countries and enhances relations with them.

Beijing has allocated substantial funds to develop infrastructure in regions under the BRI cooperation, Sonoty said, citing the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, the Horgos International Border Cooperation Center on the China-Kazakhstan border, as well as the China-Europe Railway Express.

He emphasized that the China-proposed development initiatives have huge potentials to foster cooperation between nations and establish new partnerships to bolster the global economy.

Describing the Chinese political approach as "balanced," Sonoty affirmed that the Chinese economic policy is mirrored by its foreign policy based on non-interference in other countries' domestic affairs.

China aims to cultivate relationships with nations based on mutual benefit and respect for the sovereignty of each state, a practice that garnered world applause, he added.

The Egyptian expert said that "establishing a fair and just international order is a challenging task amid American hegemony," citing the continuous U.S. support for Israel against civilians in Gaza.

Against such a backdrop, "China respects other nations' interests when addressing regional political issues," Sonoty said, hailing the concept of a community with a shared future for mankind as a milestone of partnership and affinity among nations.