Staff Reporter
Windhoek-Recently accredited Chinese Ambassador to Namibia, Zhang Yiming, who turned 48 in May is a career diplomat who has progressed through the ranks in his country’s foreign ministry.
Twelve days ago, Zhang and several diplomats presented their letters of credence to President Hage Geingob at State House
Like all Chinese the surname or family name is spelt the first. In this case Zhang is his surname. He is an accomplished diplomat who cut his teeth as a desk officer between 1992 and 1997 in the Department of Asian Affairs in the foreign service of the People’s Republic of China. Between 1997 and 2001 he served as attaché and Third Secretary in the Embassy of the People’s Republic of China in the Kingdom of Thailand.
From 2001 to 2003 he served as Third Secretary and Deputy Director in the Department of Asian Affairs of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. From 2003 to 2005 he was appointed as the Second Secretary in the Embassy of the People’s Republic of China in the Islamic Republic of Pakistan.
Between 2005 and 2009 he also served as Second Secretary and Director in the Department of Asian Affairs of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs whereafter between 2009 to 2011 he was sent to Namibia as Counsellor in the Embassy of the People’s Republic of China in the Republic of Namibia.
From 2011 to 2014 he served as Counsellor and Minister-Counsellor in the Embassy of the People’s Republic of China in the Kingdom of Thailand.
At the time his country appointed him as ambassador-designate to Namibia he was the Deputy Director-General in the Protocol Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs where he held that position from 2016 to 2016. At 48 he is married with one child in compliance with his country’s One Child Policy that has been strictly enforced until recent times.
While Namibia and China enjoy warm political and economic ties Zhang will face the challenges of wildlife crimes implicating some wayward Chinese nationals who have been in the news for all the wrong reasons.
Though there is decline in the Namibian economy attributed to the drop in global commodity prices one of the positives counting in Zhang’s favour is that trade and economic cooperation between the two countries has grown exponentially. China on the other hand is willing to avail low-interest loans to Namibia for infrastructure and other capital projects and the Chinese continue to invest in Namibia due to the favourable economic climate.