Tunisia looks forward to closer cooperation with China in auto industry: minister

TUNIS, Sept. 8 (Xinhua) -- Tunisia looks forward to strengthening cooperation with China in the automotive industry, Tunisian Minister of Industry, Mines and Energy Fatma Thabet Chiboub said on Monday.

The minister made the remarks at the opening ceremony of a Chinese auto parts manufacturing plant in northern Tunisia's Ben Arous province.

Tunisia and China have been working together smoothly in various sectors, such as education, health, and infrastructure, said the minister, noting that the auto parts manufacturing plant represents a new step in strengthening industrial cooperation between the two countries.

Highlighting the auto parts manufacturing sector as one of Tunisia's key industries, with an annual output value representing about 4 percent of the country's GDP, the minister said that Tunisia welcomes further investment from Chinese companies.

The newly-opened auto parts plant is operated by China's Changchun Jetty Automotive Technology Co., Ltd. It is expected to produce 5,000 sets of automotive wiring harnesses daily by the end of this year, with a focus on serving Chinese and European automakers.

Wang Chao, CEO of Jetty, said the new plant will strengthen local automotive parts manufacturing capabilities and increase efficiency through the implementation of highly automated production lines and lean manufacturing practices.

Additionally, it will generate more employment opportunities and provide training for the local people, Wang added.