The governments of Seychelles and China have formalized a development cooperation agreement that includes a grant of 100 million yuan (approximately $14.6 million), intended to finance strategic infrastructure and food security projects in the archipelago, official sources reported this Saturday.

The agreement was signed last Thursday in Victoria, the capital of Seychelles, by the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Diaspora, Barry Faure, and the Chinese ambassador to the country, Lin Nan, and is the result of a commitment announced in March by the Chinese Vice President, Han Zheng, during his official visit to the African nation.

The Ministry of Seychelles indicated in a statement that the ambassador highlighted that the relationship between the two countries has “stood the test of time” and changing international circumstances, rising to a “strategic cooperation” that encompasses key sectors such as tourism, trade, health, education and defense.

For his part, Faure stressed the historical nature of the signing, which coincides with the celebration of the 50th anniversary of Seychelles’ independence and the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Victoria and Beijing.

The Government of Patrick Herminie stated that they will inject these funds into improvements in access to homes, projects to guarantee the supply of food at the national level, the strengthening of defense capabilities, clean energy initiatives and the development of key works for connectivity.

Seychelles, made up of 115 islands, is the smallest country in Africa in terms of area and population, depends mainly on tourism and has the highest per capita income on the continent, with about $17,000, according to the World Bank.

China, which has carried out numerous infrastructure projects on the continent in recent decades, has been Africa’s largest bilateral trading partner for at least fifteen years.

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