New Chinatown Foundation staff members rest against a wall decorated with creative paintings. The foundation organized a wall-painting activity on April 28, to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Mauritius.

This year marks the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Mauritius. China's first overseas cultural center was inaugurated in Mauritius in 1988. Mauritius became a destination to which Chinese could travel, at their own expense, in 2003. The two countries agreed to waive visa-travel requirements in 2013. The Free Trade Agreement (FTA) between China and Mauritius officially took effect in 2021. In Mauritius, overseas Chinese can feel the respect and friendship of the locals. Chinese in Mauritius have been contributing to exchanges and cooperation between China and Mauritius.

'Feel Safe'

The FTA between China and Mauritius became the first FTA China signed with an African country. Zhu Liying, Chinese Ambassador to Mauritius, wrote an article, Opening A New Chapter, in April. "Chinese customs statistics show that, in 2021, the trade value between the two countries increased by 25.8 percent, with Mauritius' exports to China up by 35.1 percent," he wrote.

"In recent years, Huawei and other Chinese high-tech companies have participated in the Safe City and Smart City projects in Mauritius, promoting the local development of 4G and 5G technologies. Great potential for cooperation is to be tapped in areas such as the blue economy, green energy, medicine and tourism. Under the FTA framework, the economic and trade cooperation between the two countries will be further expanded and deepened, bringing new benefits to both countries and peoples," he added. 

In 2015, Mauritius launched the Smart City project, to build a number of comprehensive functional areas for businesses, leisure and residences. Yihai Group, a Chinese company, is participating in the project. "I traveled to Mauritius in 2012, at the invitation of my friends. It was such a beautiful island country that I was immediately attracted by the local customs. During my holiday in the country, the project of Port Louis National Park, introduced by the local government, caught my attention. At the end of 2012, my company won the bid for the project. It is part of the Smart City project," Li Hai, president of Yihai Group, says.

Due to various reasons, the Port Louis National Park project was suspended and restarted several times. At the end of 2019, the project was restarted, again, and it progressed quickly. At present, it is moving relatively slowly, due to the COVID-19 epidemic.

New Chinatown Foundation hosts an auction of paintings created by Chinese artists.

"We enjoy multiple preferential policies, as we participate in the Smart City project, such as a tax exemption and annual allowance for certain equipment. We can save more than US $100 million in terms of tax payments," Li says.

"In March last year, the Mauritian Economic Development Bureau, Ministry of Finance, Economic Planning and Development, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Regional Integration and International Trade and the Chinese Embassy in Mauritius held a forum on the FTA between China and Mauritius. An official with the bureau stressed, in his speech, the FTA between China and Mauritius has specific articles to protect investors, and the investors enjoy legal protection in Mauritius, and they are treated like Mauritius citizens. We felt a little unstable before, but now we feel safe, and at ease," Li adds. 

New Chinatown Foundation hosts Spring Festival activities.

'Cared for and Valued'

Chinese have a long history of participating in economic and social development in Mauritius. As early as the 18th century, Chinese immigrated to Mauritius, and they made important contributions to the local economic and social development.

Lin Zuihong was born in Chinatown, in Port Louis, Mauritius, in 1944. As the third generation of overseas Chinese in Mauritius, Lin has witnessed the country's economic development, and Chinese contributions to the local economy. 

"I pursued further studies in China from 1961 to 1967. After that, I returned to Mauritius to work at our family run stores, which sold traditional Chinese medicine and groceries. At that time, most of the locals worked in the cane fields, and they received salaries once a month, or even once a year. Most department stores were run by Chinese, and they allowed the locals to buy things on credit. That made life easier for many of the locals," Lin recalls.

"At that time, Chinese in Mauritius suggested the Mauritian Government set up factories to develop the textile industry, and to establish its own industrial system. Today, the textile industry is one of the pillar industries in Mauritius. Whenever Mauritius was coping with difficult times, local Chinese would unite together to help the country overcome the difficulties. Therefore, Chinese have a relatively high social status in Mauritius," Lin adds.

New Chinatown Foundation hosts Spring Festival activities.

Huang Wen's first impression of Mauritius was how Mauritians respected and were friendly toward Chinese. "I immigrated to Mauritius with my parents in November 2000. Chinese make up about 3 percent of the population here, but we feel we are cared for and valued in Mauritius," she says.

"Mauritius has printed the portrait of Chinese on its banknotes, maintained a minister of Chinese origin in government agencies for many years, and listed the Chinese Spring Festival as a legal holiday. Chinatown is located in the downtown of Port Louis … These are enough to illustrate the status of Chinese in Mauritius. To this day, the local people still admire and appreciate the Chinese," Lin Haiyan, Chairman of the New Chinatown Foundation in Mauritius, says.

New Chinatown Foundation hosts Spring Festival activities.

'Reviving the Dragon Spirit' 

With the aging of the senior generations of overseas Chinese in Mauritius, the importance of Chinese in the local economy has been in decline. "Many descendants of the Chinese have moved to other countries. Except for a few of the larger companies, few young people want to take over their family businesses. Chinatown used to cover six or seven blocks. Now, it's down to three or four blocks," Lin Zuihong says.

The younger generation of Chinese in Mauritius is exploring its own way of development. "My husband is the third generation of Chinese in Mauritius. His family business is running department stores. After we got married, we started our own business, running a Chinese fast-food restaurant. Our restaurant only sells lunches, and it has been doing very well, despite the COVID-19 epidemic," Huang says. She is content with her life.

Huang likes to participate in various cultural activities during her spare time. "I used to work as a Chinese-language teacher, from 2007 to 2008, during which time I often took my students to join in the activities held in Chinatown. For example, we sang Chinese songs, walked the runway in cheongsam and sold Chinese delicacies. I also participated in the Chinese drama competition held by the Mauritian Government. I wrote the script and starred by myself, and I also won an award. My dramas are all about Chinese people's stories. As a Chinese, I have the obligation to record the stories of Chinese here, and to let more people know their stories," she says.

New Chinatown Foundation hosts Spring Festival activities.

"The status of Chinese in Mauritius today was won by the struggle and efforts of several generations. Chinese culture has become an important part of the diverse culture in Mauritius. During traditional Chinese festivals, I always go to commercial plazas across the country to play Chinese musical instruments and write Chinese calligraphy with my friends from the New Chinatown Foundation," Huang adds.

Lin Haiyan, who was named the 2019 Global Overseas Chines e of the Year, is the fourth generation Chinese in Mauritius. In 2017, after he had studied and worked in China for more than 10 years, he returned to Mauritius. "I have a dream — restoring the glory of Chinatown, reviving the Dragon Spirit. Chinatown has taken on a new look. In the future, I hope to turn Chinatown into a tourist destination, and develop Chinatown real estate," he says. 

Li has a similar dream. "I plan to cooperate with the New Chinatown Foundation to build a museum of overseas Chinese here, which will hopefully become a landmark."

Photos Supplied by Lin Haiyan 

(Source: People's Daily Overseas Edition/Women of China English Monthly July 2022 issue)