People's Daily, TEDA Cooperation Zone Fruitful, Helping Egypt's Industrial Modernization

Source: People's Daily

Original title "China-Egypt TEDA Suez Economic and Trade Cooperation Zone Construction Fruitful Park Cooperation to Help Egypt's Industrial Modernization"

Reporter Zhang Zhiwen Zhang Mengxu Shen Xiaoxiao

 

 

On the shore of the Red Sea and south of the Suez Canal, the Sino-Egyptian TEDA Suez Economic and Trade Cooperation Zone (hereinafter referred to as the "Cooperation Zone"), which has just celebrated its 15th birthday, is full of vitality: perfect infrastructure, rich industrial clusters, advanced logistics and warehousing, and thoughtful living facilities ...... The cooperation zone has accelerated its strategic upgrading and become an important platform for investment and cooperation between Chinese and Egyptian enterprises.

 

 

The main gate of the China-Egypt TEDA Suez Economic and Trade Cooperation Zone. Photo by Li Liang

On January 21, 2016, during President Xi Jinping's visit to Egypt, he and Egyptian President Sisi jointly unveiled the second phase of the cooperation zone. Under the common concern of the heads of state of China and Egypt, the cooperation zone has become a demonstration project for the joint construction of the "Belt and Road" and the "Suez Canal Corridor Economic Belt", and has become a brand-new business card for the industrial modernization of Egypt and both sides of the Red Sea.

"The most successful project in the economic belt of the Suez Canal Corridor at present"

In the reception hall of the investment service center building of the cooperation zone, the logo of the second phase of the cooperation zone is very eye-catching and rich in meaning. On the blue-and-white porcelain plate with the words "China-Egypt Suez Economic and Trade Cooperation Zone Expansion Zone" written in Chinese and Arab bilingual, the Egyptian Emi flower pattern surrounded by 6 "Tian" characters symbolizes a reasonably planned modern urban area. Two curves are carved on the base of the porcelain plate, representing the Yellow River and the Nile River respectively, which indicates the bright prospect of the vigorous development of the cooperation zone under the common nourishment of the two civilizations of China and Egypt.

Over the past seven years, new progress has been made in the construction of the second phase of the cooperation zone. Song Caicen, executive director of the Egyptian TEDA Special Zone Development Company, introduced that the second phase of the cooperation zone covers an area of 6 square kilometers and 40 companies have settled in, covering industries such as textiles, building materials, motorcycles, and home appliance manufacturing. In 2021, the cooperation zone successfully promoted the official operation of the first Chinese-funded bonded warehouse project in Egypt, and strived to build an international commodity distribution center and an automobile and spare parts distribution center.

After two phases of construction, the cooperation zone has become an industrial park with the best comprehensive environment, the largest investment density, the highest unit output, and the most concentrated Chinese-funded enterprises in Egypt. More than 140 enterprises have taken root here, with actual investment exceeding US $1.6 billion, cumulative sales exceeding US $3.7 billion, and taxes and fees paid exceeding US $0.2 billion, directly solving the employment of nearly 6000 people and driving employment of about 50000 people ...... The cooperation zone was evaluated by President Sisi as "the most successful project in the Suez Canal Corridor Economic Belt at present", and Egyptian Prime Minister Madbouli also praised the cooperation zone as "a model of Egyptian industrial parks".

 

 

Prime Minister Mdebury visits TEDA cooperation zone

"I have been to the cooperation zone many times, and every time I have made new discoveries, the construction of the park is getting better and better, and there are more and more enterprises." Suez Governor Sarker said that the complete supporting facilities and preferential investment policies in the cooperation zone are hugely attractive. "TEDA is our trusted partner".

Facing the future, the cooperation zone actively builds a "one core, two corridors, and three bases" layout, promotes internal and external linkages in the park, and effectively connects with the Tianjin Dongjiang Comprehensive Bonded Zone, and strives to cultivate a group of leading enterprises with outstanding competitive advantages and strong driving capabilities., And then promote industrial agglomeration and cluster development.

"Create a lot of jobs and drive forward the development of Egypt's manufacturing industry"

In the view of Walid Jamaldin, chairman of the General Administration of the Suez Canal Economic Zone, under the joint planning and promotion of the two heads of state, the cooperation zone, as a model project of the Canal Economic Zone and even Egypt as a whole, has strongly promoted economic and trade exchanges and investment cooperation between Egypt and China.

China Jushi Co., Ltd. (hereinafter referred to as "China Jushi") began to invest in Egypt in 2012. At the end of 2013, the first phase of Jushi Egypt Glass Fiber Co., Ltd. (hereinafter referred to as "Jushi Egypt") was completed and put into operation with an annual output of 80000 tons of glass fiber production line. From the first phase to the fourth phase, the total annual production capacity of Jushi Egypt glass fiber production base reached 340000 tons, becoming the largest glass fiber production base on the African continent.

Walking into the boulder Egypt production base, the production line is busy and orderly. The huge factory has more than 2000 workers and more than 30 Chinese management and technical personnel. Most of the production and management positions are undertaken by local Egyptians. Under the clear workflow, the workers carefully completed orders from all over the world.

 

 

Boulder employees on the production line

Looking at the vigorous scene in front of you, who would have thought that 10 years ago here was still a desert. Wu Ping, general manager of Jushi Egypt, said that at the beginning of China's Jushi's entry into Egypt, the difficulties encountered were far beyond imagination: tight power supply, slow approval, shortage of water resources ...... Chinese builders rose to the challenge and actively carried out mutually beneficial cooperation with all parties in Egypt. In the past 10 years, Jushi Egypt has completed the construction of 4 glass fiber production lines and supporting auxiliary projects, creating China's first large-scale glass fiber production base independently built overseas, and creating a cumulative export of more than US $1.67 billion.

Jushi Egypt also actively fulfills its corporate social responsibilities, including strengthening environmental protection and helping community development, providing charitable assistance to local orphanages and poor residents within its capacity, and donating teaching and living materials to African Hope Schools.

In Madbouli's view, the successful completion of a large-scale new production line reflects the strength of Megalith Egypt. "While expanding investment in Egypt, Chinese Jushi has created a large number of jobs and driven the development of Egypt's manufacturing industry."

"Further promote the localization of R & D, manufacturing and talent"

Egypt's "Vision 2030" states that Egypt will actively participate in international economic cooperation to maximize value added, create decent and productive jobs, and bring real per capita GDP to the level of middle-income countries. Cultivating more talents that meet the needs of industrial development and the times is one of the important goals of Egypt's industrial modernization.

On both sides of the wide road in the cooperation zone, a new factory building neatly arranged. Walking into the dishwasher factory of Midea's Egyptian Kitchen and Water Heater Co.

 

 

In the dishwasher factory of Midea Egypt Kitchen and Water Heater Co., Ltd., the Chinese master guides the Egyptian apprentice. Photo by Zhang Zhiwen

"Check the electrode position of the spot welding machine carefully to ensure that the solder joints are the same size." Chinese master Zhang Jianhuai is discussing the welding technology of bowl baskets with Egyptian apprentice Shehab. Zhang Jianhuai watched carefully beside the machine. Shehab carefully studied the bowl and basket structure and adjusted the electrode height and technical parameters from time to time. Zhang Jianhuai said: "Bowl and basket welding is a technically difficult process. Xie Habu is serious and studious. I believe he will master this technology and become the backbone of the factory."

Chen Weiwei, general manager of the company, said that the bowl and basket production line invested by Midea has filled the technical gap in the field of dishwasher manufacturing in Egypt. It has not only trained welding skills, but also promoted the localization of key technologies such as ingredient processing and powder immersion technology, reduced the cost and price of dishwashers, and made the localization achievements of home appliance industry continue to benefit ordinary people.

At the other end of the assembly line, Kamal, the head of the chassis assembly team, kept checking the progress of the work and guiding the team members to solve related technical problems. In December 2022, as the first batch of employees, Kamal received in-plant training. "Under the guidance of a Chinese master, I learned the whole process of dishwasher production and participated in practical training in every link of the assembly line." Kamal said.

After three months of systematic training, Kamal, who loves to study, has become a technical expert on the dishwasher assembly line and was recently appointed as the team leader to be responsible for the chassis assembly process. Through mentoring, batch after batch of new employees have mastered assembly skills under the guidance of technical backbones. "I am very happy to work here. I will continue to work hard to create a better life with my own hands." Kamal's smile revealed a vision of his career.

Chen Weiwei said that the current production capacity of this dishwasher assembly line can meet the market demand in the Middle East, and new assembly lines will be added in the future to produce more new dishwashers. "We will further promote the localization of R & D, manufacturing and talents, and focus on the local user market to provide regional users with a wider range of home appliances."

 

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