Discovering 'Great China'

Radhia Amri, wife of Tarek Amri, Tunisia's ambassador to China [Women of China English Monthly/Zhang Jiamin]

Radhia Amri, wife of Tarek Amri, Tunisia's ambassador to China, is impressed by China's rapid development, and she believes the Middle Kingdom is a model for other countries. She is living abroad — as the ambassador's wife — for the first time. She is committed to embracing the challenges that she will encounter in her high-profile role as the ambassador's wife.

"When we were posted to China, I was very eager to discover the 'Great China' that I had heard so much about. We spent some time here in 2008. Now, five years have passed, and you can notice China's rapid development. I have been here for almost a year, and I feel very safe. As the mother of two teenaged boys, I feel it's important that they have the freedom to explore, and that I don't need to worry," Radhia Amri says.

"I believe one of my great challenges will be to learn the language. I feel frustrated when I can't make myself understood, even if Chinese people are friendly and try to understand me through gestures," she adds.

After Tunisia achieved its independence from France, in 1956, the role of Tunisian women changed tremendously, Amri says. The country's women went from having a more passive role at home to playing a key role in society.

"Our former president, Habib Bourguiba, implemented regulations that changed the lives of Tunisian women. First of all, he allocated one-third of the State's budget for education. It became compulsory for children, of both genders, to attend school. He said society would never develop unless men saw women as their equals," Amri says.

"Today, 91 percent of Tunisian women, between the ages of 15-24, are educated, and more than 50 percent of the professionals, such as judges, lawyers, pharmacists and teachers, are women. Women are also active participants in the Tunisian Government. With our independence came our right to vote, to divorce and the freedom to have an abortion. After the revolution, Tunisian women fought for their rights, and there was no turning back.

"As in China, Tunisian food is very diverse. (The dishes have been) influenced by the long history of many generations and civilizations. Phoenicians brought the lamb sausages to the country. Carthaginians brought the semolina (used in making couscous), and the Turks brought the pastries," Amri notes.

"The food (becomes more) diverse as you traverse the different regions of Tunisia, just like in China. We eat more seafood in the coastal regions, and more meat in the west. When we return to China from home, we only bring our own couscous. All the other spices and vegetables can be found in Beijing," Amri adds.

"This year, Tunisia and China will celebrate the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries. But the relationship between the two cultures dates back centuries. Along the Silk Road, Tunisian and Chinese … traded silk, spices and textiles … Today, Tunisia exports mostly agricultural items, such as olive oil, wine and figs. In Tunisia, one of the biggest … Chinese companies is Huawei Technologies, a Chinese multinational networking and telecommunications equipment and services company," Amri says.

"The Tunisian community in China is not big, but the Tunisians who are here hold high posts in various companies. They are hotel managers, engineers and university teachers. We are very proud of them. We also have several hundred students — who have realized how important China is to their future — studying here in China … For our countrymen, we try to arrange activities that remind them of home. It's not always easy to be here on your own, especially as a student, since Tunisia is so far away," Amri says.

The Tunisian Embassy not only promotes Tunisia, by holding events and organizing charitable events, it also holds seminars and lectures, in collaboration with the Tunisian tourist office, about the country. Amri says both China and Tunisia have excelled at preserving historical monuments, whilst still being modern countries.

"I am very impressed by the historical presence in China. I am very fond of the Great Wall and the Forbidden City. I love the historical aspect of the hutong and Houhai areas in Beijing. I prefer the traditional architecture to the modern. In Tunisia, we also have the Souk (ancient markets) and the Medinas (old cities). We are very proud of how well-preserved these places are," Amri says.

"I have also noticed that China's wealth is not only concentrated in the capital. Other cities, which I have visited, have similar infrastructure and buildings. I have been invited by the Chinese Government to participate in a trip to visit the Miao people in southern China. It gave me the opportunity to see how poor rural villages are becoming wealthier, and what support the government offers to minorities. I believe China has a very strong government, and leaders. Even with the huge population, everything is organized well," Amri says.

One of Amri's goals is to promote Tunisia to China. "Even if Tunisia is one of the smallest countries on the African continent, its culture is rich. Like China, it has an ancient civilization that dates back more than 3,000 years," she says.

"The Romans, Carthaginians, Phoenicians, Arabs and Turkish people have all left their marks on Tunisia. It's such a beautiful and diverse country, and absolutely worth a visit," she says.

(Source: Women of China English Monthly March 2014 Issue)