mirror of nations·comoros｜reporter’s observation: comoros is “poor but not chaotic”
2024-09-27
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xinhua news agency, nairobi, september 27 (reporter xu jiatong) comoros, an island country in the indian ocean, is located between the african continent and madagascar, the world's fourth largest island, with an area of 2,236 square kilometers. it is one of the least developed countries in the world. taking advantage of the opportunity to interview comoros president azali, xinhua news agency reporters came to this country. after just a few days of contact, the impression left on the reporter by comoros is that although economic and social development faces severe challenges, the people here are generally stable and the society is relatively harmonious.
this is the coastal scenery taken in moroni, the capital of comoros, on august 27. photo by xinhua news agency reporter dai hemarine civilization and multiculturalism
comoros, the full name of the union of comoros, is located in the southwest of the indian ocean, between mozambique and madagascar. it consists of four islands: grande comoros, anjouan, moheli and mayotte (now actually controlled by france). it is famous for its rich production of spices such as vanilla, cloves, orchids, so it is also known as the "land of spices".
comoros has a population of approximately 870,000, mainly composed of people of arab descent, the kafu, magonni, uamacha and sakalava ethnic groups. common comorian language, the official languages are comorian, french and arabic. islam is the main religion, with 95% of the population believing in islam, mainly sunni muslims.
comorians have a long history of doing business. our ancestors were navigators in the indian ocean and conducted trade with merchants from the arabian peninsula, india, southeast asia and other places. this time-honored maritime civilization gave birth to the comorian people’s spirit of exploration of the outside world and laid the foundation for their future international business activities.
this is the night view of moroni, the capital of comoros, taken on december 18, 2021 (drone photo). published by xinhua news agency (photo by ma haoyu)according to locals, in comoros, small family businesses are an important part of the national economy. most of these enterprises are family units, run by several generations, and involve fishery, handicrafts, tourism and other fields. these enterprises are not only the pillars of the national economy, but also an important part of cultural heritage and social structure.
since the mid-20th century, due to domestic political turmoil and economic difficulties, many comorians have chosen to leave their hometown and seek better life and development opportunities in france, belgium, the united arab emirates and other countries. today, comorian expatriates are spread all over the world. they work hard overseas and gradually stand out in their respective fields.
in france, comorian businessmen have won wide recognition from all walks of life with their keen business acumen and diligent work attitude. they have made remarkable achievements in catering, fashion, real estate and other industries. in the united arab emirates, comorian businessmen have become an important force that cannot be ignored in the local business community with their expertise in jewelry and spice trade.
this is a pedestrian photographed on a coast in moroni, the capital of comoros, on august 27. photo by xinhua news agency reporter dai hethe business success of comorians is largely due to their multicultural background and cross-cultural communication skills. comoros is a multicultural country with rich religious and ethnic diversity. this multicultural environment also makes comorians more comfortable and confident when communicating with people of different cultural backgrounds.
during the interview, the reporter learned that many comorians choose to go to france and other countries for development and bring or send the money they earn back home. although the economy of comoros is underdeveloped, most families have more or less economic foundations, social security is good, and robberies and robberies rarely occur. the people are relatively united and helping each other is a social custom.
on august 27, the chinese anti-malaria team collected blood tests from villagers in a village located in the north of moroni, the capital of comoros. photo by xinhua news agency reporter wang guansenscarcity of materials and weak infrastructure
lack of supplies and high prices are long-standing problems in comoros. restricted by geographical environment restrictions, weak production capacity and other factors, many daily necessities are in short supply. this imbalance between supply and demand has led to high prices, and local people have a heavy financial burden and have to be careful in their daily lives to cope with the high expenses.
during an interview in moroni, the capital of comoros, the reporter was shocked by the local prices: for example, one kilogram of cabbage on the market sells for 4,500 comorian francs (approximately 72 yuan), and one kilogram of onions sells for 2,500 comorian francs ( (about 40 yuan), and a box of 24 cans of beer costs 36,000 francs (about 580 yuan).
on august 27, chen yinhuan, leader of the chinese anti-malaria team, collected blood tests for villagers in a village located in the north of moroni, the capital of comoros. photo by xinhua news agency reporter wang guansenthe reporter learned that even rice, the staple food of the comoros, is not always available. whenever rice comes into the market, people who come after hearing the news will form a long queue. each person is limited to buying one bag, and no more is allowed. for some low-income people who cannot afford vegetables, bananas are their more common staple food than rice.
weak infrastructure is also a major practical difficulty that cannot be avoided in the economic and social development of comoros. there is a serious shortage of infrastructure in key areas such as transportation, electricity, and water, which is like a shackle, severely restricting the country's economic development and social progress. this is true even in the capital moroni, the most developed city in comoros.
this is the china-aided komoheli island highway taken on june 3 in moheli island, comoros. the china-aided road project on moheli island in comoros was officially completed on the 7th in mahiva city, comoros. published by xinhua news agency (photo provided by china geological engineering group co., ltd.)the length of roads in comoros is less than 900 kilometers, and the road conditions are poor. there are no railways, and inter-island transportation relies on ferries. electricity and water resources are also generally scarce across the country. in many areas outside moroni, power supply is limited to four hours a day. in some areas, the supply of fresh water is insufficient, so local people rely on stored rainwater to meet their domestic water needs.
although this indian ocean island country is rich in tourism resources, beautiful natural scenery and distinctive cultural characteristics, a large number of tourism resources have not been developed. the reporter drove along the moroni coastline and could hardly see the white sand beaches and coconut groves. hotel resources are very scarce on the island of grand comoros where moroni is located.
constrained by multiple factors such as imperfect infrastructure and limited resources, comoros' economic and social development lags behind. although the government has taken a series of measures to develop the economy, the results have not been obvious due to the lack of sufficient resources and effective market strategies. comorians still face severe challenges in employment, education, medical care and other aspects.
this is the fierce lady cliff (drone photo) taken on grand comoro island in comoros on december 14, 2021. published by xinhua news agency (photo by ma haoyu)help each other and develop together
president azali said in the interview that although comoros has heavy development tasks, he believes that based on the brotherly bilateral relations, the forum on china-africa cooperation, the china-arab states cooperation forum mechanism, the "belt and road" initiative and the "global south" cooperation framework under the circumstances, china's support will bring hope to comoros to overcome difficulties and achieve better development.
china is the first country to establish diplomatic relations with comoros. since the establishment of diplomatic relations 49 years ago, the two countries have always understood, trusted and supported each other, setting an example of equal treatment, solidarity and cooperation between large and small countries. "china has always stood with us in political, economic, social and other fields!" president azali commented on the relationship between the two countries.
during the interview in comoros, the reporter was impressed that many local people could blurt out simple chinese vocabulary. on the streets of moroni, when many comorians see journalists with oriental faces, they will take the initiative to say hello in chinese: "hello" and "welcome". their sincere smiles made the reporter feel warm.
the friendship of the comorian people towards the chinese people is not only reflected in their greetings and interactions, but also in the solidarity and mutual assistance shown by the two peoples when facing challenges. local people told reporters that when comoros encounters difficulties, china is always the first to lend a helping hand. chinese experts go deep into the fields and teach advanced planting techniques and management experience to help comorians increase crop yields and reduce their dependence on imported food. chinese doctors help the comorians fight malaria and are an important source of health for the comorians.
what do comorians think of china? president azali once said: "in the hearts of comorians, china has a special weight. we are delighted with china's development achievements and are very happy that china is accelerating national rejuvenation. china's development is comoros' romania’s opportunities, china’s success is africa’s success.”
azali said in this interview that africa is rich in resources, but only through modernization can it reverse its weak position in the industrial chain, improve competitiveness, provide more employment opportunities for young people, and achieve economic and social development. the initiative is in your own hands. in the modernization process of african countries, support from china is crucial. china advocates the construction of a higher-level china-africa community with a shared future and "continues to work hard and never relaxes, and keeps moving forward" for this goal.
