Mauritania: Relationship with China Expands Amidst Global Economic Shakeup
Summary:
On 3 April 2025, Mauritania’s Minister of Economy and Finance, Mr. Sid’Ahmed Ould Bouh, signed an economic and technical cooperation agreement with H.E. Mr. Tang Zhongdong, Ambassador of the People’s Republic of China to Mauritania.
The agreement is valued at 200-million Chinese yuan, which is approximately 1.1 billion Mauritanian Ouguiya (27.5 billion USD), and is designated for financing development projects in Mauritania.
China and Mauritania also signed multiple cooperation and partnership agreements in areas related to strengthening the capacities of the national health system in the recent months.
The agreements include strengthening the field of medical training and scholarships with the National Hospital Center, the expansion of the Friendship Hospital Center, and completion of the ongoing work on the new headquarters of the National Institute for Public Health Research.
Recent expansion of bilateral relations between China and Mauritania began in 2022 at the China-Arab States Summit. At the Summit in Saudi Arabia, the two countries signed a cooperation agreement, which spanned the agriculture, fisheries, and green energy sectors, and granted $21 million in debt relief to Mauritania.
Outlook:
China and Mauritania have recently strengthened ties through infrastructure and mining agreements. These agreements align with China’s Belt and Road Initiative which Mauritania officially joined in 2023.
Mauritania’s vast mineral wealth and strategic Atlantic coastline make it a key partner for China’s resource security and maritime access in West Africa.
The recent economic and technical agreement will help expand Mauritania’s regional influence and could enhance its ability to attract further investments from diverse international partners. However, cooperation with China could see various forms of pushback from the US and Europe, particularly in the midst of strategic economic realignments underway due to US tariffs.
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