{"id":46886,"date":"2026-09-28T10:51:55","date_gmt":"2026-09-28T06:51:55","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.mauritiustimes.com\/mt\/?p=46886"},"modified":"2026-09-28T10:51:55","modified_gmt":"2026-09-28T06:51:55","slug":"mauritius-and-china-in-a-new-conversation-on-openness","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.mauritiustimes.com\/mt\/mauritius-and-china-in-a-new-conversation-on-openness\/","title":{"rendered":"Mauritius and China in a New Conversation on Openness"},"content":{"rendered":"

Trade & Development Policy<\/u><\/span><\/p>\n

By Xiong Xinghan,
\nFudan University & Sheetal Sheena Sookrajowa,
\nUniversity of Mauritius<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

Mauritius is surrounded by the ocean, but its history has never been defined by isolation. The sea that marks the country\u2019s territorial limits has also been its route to the wider world. Across different periods, Mauritians have used trade, migration, education, diplomacy and cultural exchange to overcome the constraints of distance and a small domestic market. The island\u2019s development has depended on its ability to connect without losing the capacity to choose its own direction.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

This outward-looking spirit helped Mauritius move beyond a sugar-based economy. Export manufacturing created employment, tourism brought the world to its shores, and financial, professional and digital services connected the country to international flows of capital and expertise. These transitions were not complete or without difficulty, but together they widened the possibilities available to a small island state.<\/p>\n

Mauritian openness was never simply a matter of removing barriers. It was supported by public institutions, education, social programs and negotiations among government, business, labour, and society. It also drew strength from the country\u2019s links with Africa, India, Europe and the wider Indian Ocean. Openness therefore grew from Mauritius\u2019s own experience of diversity and encounter.<\/p>\n

China\u2019s modern development presents another history in which openness has played a central role. In late 1978, China began the process known as reform and opening-up.<\/em> Reform changed institutions and incentives at home; opening-up expanded connections with foreign markets, investment, technology and knowledge. The two advanced together rather than as separate policies.<\/p>\n

The first reforms began in rural areas and were followed by experiments in enterprises, prices and local administration. In 1980, Shenzhen, Zhuhai, Shantou and Xiamen became special economic zones, testing more flexible approaches to investment and trade. Their experience was observed, revised and gradually extended. China\u2019s accession to the World Trade Organisation in 2001 marked a further stage of integration into international markets and rules.<\/p>\n

Over nearly half a century, these changes helped transform China\u2019s productive capacity and living standards. External investment, technology and markets mattered, but they interacted with infrastructure, industry, education and a large domestic market. China\u2019s rise cannot be explained by openness alone, just as Mauritius\u2019s achievements cannot be reduced to access to foreign markets. In both cases, external opportunities became productive when connected to domestic changes.<\/p>\n

What the two experiences can say to each other<\/strong><\/p>\n

A first subject for dialogue is gradual adaptation. China\u2019s reforms often began as limited trials before being expanded. Mauritius also moved through successive stages: import substitution industries, the Export Processing Zone, tourism, offshore activities and information services emerged at different moments in response to changing conditions. In both experiences, development involved learning, adjustment and a willingness to reconsider earlier arrangements.<\/p>\n

This outlook remains valuable when technologies, markets and environmental conditions change rapidly. Policies need clear objectives and regular evaluation, but also enough flexibility to be corrected. China\u2019s local pilot programs and Mauritius\u2019s tradition of pragmatic adaptation are different expressions of a shared readiness to learn through practice.<\/p>\n

A second subject is the link between openness and domestic capability. A trade agreement may open a market, but firms still need finance, knowledge, certification and reliable logistics. Foreign investment may bring capital, but its wider value grows when local workers acquire skills and local enterprises find opportunities to supply goods and services. Tourism contributes more when agriculture, transport, culture and small businesses are connected to it.<\/p>\n

Mauritian export industries relied not only on market access, but also on institutions, industrial sites, transport, training and entrepreneurship. China\u2019s special economic zones likewise combined ports, infrastructure, administrative reform, labour and suppliers. The common lesson is simple: connection to the world becomes more durable when it strengthens the capacity to produce, learn and innovate at home.<\/p>\n

A third area concerns inclusion. Mauritius paired its outward orientation with education, public health services and social protection. China also invested heavily in infrastructure, education and poverty reduction while its economy expanded. Both experiences suggest that openness is easier to sustain when people can see paths to employment, mobility and a better life. Its quality is measured partly by the opportunities it creates across society.<\/p>\n

Finally, both histories underline the value of long-term direction. Investors need reasonably clear public priorities, while citizens need to understand how economic change connects with education, housing, transport and the environment. China\u2019s planning traditions and Mauritius\u2019s Vision 2050 process both look beyond immediate pressures. However, long-term direction is most useful when it remains open to evidence, public discussion and revision.<\/p>\n

A changing world and a new Mauritian challenge<\/strong><\/p>\n

Mauritius enters a new phase from a position of real strength. It has experienced institutions, an educated population, international credibility and a record of moving between economic activities. Yet an earlier growth model cannot simply be extended unchanged. Productivity has slowed, traditional exports face stronger competition, and skills do not always match the needs of emerging sectors. In 2025, overall unemployment was relatively low, but the rate among people aged 16 to 24 remained 18.4 per cent. Demography adds pressure. The population declined slightly in 2025 while the dependency ratio increased. An ageing society will require higher productivity, new approaches to care and fuller use of the talents of women, young people and experienced workers.<\/p>\n

Mauritius also remains exposed to imported energy and food, external shocks and the climate risks faced by small island states. Climate resilience is therefore part of economic policy, not a separate chapter. Coastal erosion, pressure on lagoons and extreme weather affect livelihoods, tourism and public finances. Energy, construction, transport, food production and investment increasingly need to be considered through the same lens. The transition carries costs, but can also create new skills, services and enterprises.<\/p>\n

These challenges do not reduce the value of openness; they change what Mauritius should expect from it. Future growth may come from a varied combination of advanced manufacturing, digital services, the blue economy, renewable energy, medical and educational services, creative industries, green finance and higher-value tourism. Market access will remain useful, but knowledge networks, research partnerships, professional mobility and technological cooperation will matter just as much.<\/p>\n

This is a question of quality and diversity. Mauritius has long benefited from maintaining relationships across regions and cultures. Engaging a broad range of partners in Africa, Asia, Europe, the Gulf and the Americas gives the country more room to compare options, combine ideas and respond when international conditions change.<\/p>\n

China in a wider Mauritian horizon<\/strong><\/p>\n

Within this wider horizon, China can be an important partner and source of experience. The China\u2013Mauritius Free Trade Agreement entered into force in 2021 as China\u2019s first free trade agreement with an African country. Covering goods, services, investment and economic cooperation, it creates a framework through which businesses, universities, professional bodies and public institutions can explore practical exchanges.<\/p>\n

Some Chinese experiences connect with questions Mauritius is already considering. China\u2019s movement towards more technology- and knowledge-based activities offers material for discussion about industrial upgrading. Its renewable-energy industries may be relevant to an island seeking greater energy security. Its experience with digital payments, logistics and e-commerce can inform efforts by small firms to reach distant markets. Exchanges in research, training and vocational education could help connect infrastructure and investment with lasting skills.<\/p>\n

People-to-people relations also matter. Agreements are easier to use when entrepreneurs understand each other\u2019s markets, students can study across borders and professional communities maintain regular contact. Academic exchanges, tourism, language learning and cultural programs may be less visible than a large project, but they often determine whether cooperation becomes broad and lasting. Mauritius\u2019s multicultural and multilingual society is a particular strength in this patient work of building understanding.<\/p>\n

These are possibilities, not prescriptions. Mauritius will assess them according to its laws, environmental responsibilities, social priorities and economic interests. China may be well placed in some fields; other countries or multilateral institutions may be more suitable in others. Openness is valuable precisely because it preserves the freedom to compare, combine and choose. The dialogue can also work in both directions, drawing on Mauritius\u2019s knowledge of African markets, multilingual communication and long experience of maintaining links across regions.<\/p>\n

Reading the two histories together therefore does not mean searching for an identical route. The purpose is to ask better questions: How can trade encourage innovation at home? How can investment deepen local skills? How can technology raise productivity without leaving people behind? How can an island remain open while becoming more resilient to external shocks? These questions belong not only to governments and businesses, but also to workers, researchers, young people and citizens.<\/p>\n

Mauritius has already shown that geography need not determine destiny. Surrounded by the ocean, it built prosperity by opening routes to the world and adapting what came through them to local needs. Its next chapter will require the same confidence, with a stronger emphasis on knowledge, resilience and inclusion. China\u2019s experience can be one voice in that conversation, alongside many others. The final course will remain distinctly Mauritian.<\/p>\n

\n

Mauritius Times ePaper Friday 25 September 2026<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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