By Petronella Sibeene WINDHOEK A grand reception was held in the capital Thursday evening to mark the 57th founding anniversary of the People’s Republic of China. Close to a hundred people consisting of Chinese residents in Namibia, Namibia’s high- ranking government officials and heads of the diplomatic corps attended the reception. Chinese Ambassador to Namibia Liang Yinzhu briefed the guests on the tremendous changes that have taken place in China since its founding in 1949, particularly China’s economic success in recent years. After reviewing the major progress achieved in economic and social development, the ambassador assured his country’s continued concerted efforts with the Namibian government to push the traditional friendship and cooperation onto a new stage. In the passing years, Namibia-China cooperative relations have been consolidated and deepened, and cooperation among all fields between the two nations has maintained good momentum, said the ambassador. China and Namibia have been sharing weal and woe together in the face of challenges, learning from and helping one another in nation building and understanding, and supporting each other in international affairs. Yinzhu said that the Chinese people are appreciative of Namibia’s upholding of the One-China principle, which supports China’s great cause for reunification. The Chinese have in the past few years strengthened their people-to-people contacts. “China increased its scholarship to Namibian students and set up various seminars to help train Namibian officials and professionals,” said the ambassador. He added that China views Namibia as one of its most reliable friends. Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Lempy Lukas on behalf of the Namibian government congratulated China on their anniversary. She said Namibia is inspired by China’s accelerated economic development. Last year, China’s economic aggregate surged to 4th and its total trade volume ranked 3rd in the world. In the first half of 2006, the country registered a GDP year-on-year increase of 10.9%. Its national strength improved markedly especially in areas of science, technology, culture and education. “We salute you for your outstanding achievements in this sector as well as in other areas of development,” Lukas said. While the bilateral relations continue developing smoothly, the deputy minister emphasized, a need existed, she added, to further explore new areas of cooperation in various fields for mutual benefit. She assured that Namibia would continue to improve its domestic investment environment to attract more Chinese capital, particularly in high value-added industries and the tourism and agriculture sectors. She reiterated Namibia’s support for the One-China policy and for the peaceful reunification of the people of China. Besides, Lukas praised China for its active participation in international affairs such as the nuclear challenges in the Korean Peninsula and the conflict in the Middle East.