In recent years, relations between China and Senegal have enjoyed fast and steady growth, and cooperation in various fields is progressing significantly. Souleymane Ndéné Ndiaye, Senegalese Prime Minister, takes a moment to reflect on the partnership in an interview with ChinAfrica.

ChinAfrica: What do you think should be given top priority in relations between China and Senegal? 

Souleymane Ndéné Ndiaye: Senegal has a territory of 199,900 square km and a population of 12 million. Most people are farmers, and our economy depends mainly on agriculture; so agricultural cooperation plays an important part in our cooperation. Our extensive cooperation also covers health care, sports and energy sectors. China has developed industry and agriculture, so we need to expand cooperation with China.  

Agriculture is an important area in Sino-Senegalese cooperation. Can you expand on the areas of cooperation you mentioned?

China is a big country in terms of rice production. In Senegal, the annual demand for rice is 800,000 tons, while the domestic output is only 600,000 tons, which means that we have to import a lot every year. But there are abundant water and land resources in the northern and eastern parts of Senegal. We will not have to import rice if we can make full use of them. After the grain supply problem is solved, our import focus can be shifted to processing industries.

Meanwhile, we are looking at road building, since Chinese enterprises have a lot of experience with that. They also built stadiums in Dakar and other provinces. Some stadiums are under construction and some have been completed.

China has also sent medical teams to Casamance, a region in south Senegal, helping local people with health problems. I believe that China and Senegal will carry out significant cooperation in infrastructure construction, agriculture, energy and health care.

What do you think about cultural exchanges between China and Senegal?

A French philosopher once said that culture is something left when you forget everything you've learned. We believe that one can understand a nation through its culture. For example, our differences in skin color and habits influence our cultures. Senegal has many ethnic groups with different cultures, but we have crossed culture gaps to form the Senegalese culture. This unique culture endows everyone in the country with brevity, honesty, loyalty and hospitality. These characteristics enable us to live peacefully on the same piece of land.

Cultural exchange is important for a country, especially in its relations with other countries. China has a large territory and population, but it also needs cultural exchange with foreign countries. The Chinese are curious about the life in Senegal, but Africans also want to know how people live in China. That's the reason why I attach such importance to cultural exchange. 

You have visited China. What in the Chinese culture interests you personally?

I like Chinese dance, especially dances of the ethnic minorities I saw at the opening ceremony of the Beijing Olympic Games. I also like Chinese food. When I visited China, I noticed the Forbidden City near Tiananmen Square. I saw how Chinese people love their culture. It has been a long time since the founding of the People's Republic, but its cultural relics are still carefully preserved. The relics themselves are the history of a country, and every country needs its history to prepare for the future.

Senegal is a country with beautiful landscapes. Does Senegal welcome Chinese tourists?

Of course. We hope to develop sightseeing routes in Senegal. I know that Chinese people are travel fans. Many Chinese tourists go to the Champs Elysées in Paris to experience a different culture. We hope to bring more of these tourists to Senegal as well. I have been to the Great Wall of China; maybe Chinese will go to the island of Goree in Senegal. Slaves brought to the Americas were shipped from this island. It's an important place in African history and also symbolizes a turning point in our history. I hope that we can further cooperate on tourism as part of our cultural exchange.