Chinese Ambassador to Namibia, Zhao Weiping, on Wednesday said the China-Namibia relationship is more than an ordinary one between developing countries because of the profound traditional friendship between the two nations. He emphasised that when planning trade and economic affairs, China always considers this unique bond.
During a business networking session at the Chinese embassy, Zhao shared that since the establishment of diplomatic relations, China has provided some development assistance to Namibia, which he described as mutual help and support between friends.
He said the projects which are currently ongoing include a section of Windhoek’s new airport road being constructed with a Chinese government grant of N$ 1 billion; the expansion and upgrading of four schools in the Kavango West and Zambezi regions; and the Satellite Data Receiving Ground Station. These initiatives are being constructed with the support of a Chinese government grant of more than N$200 million.
“We are also discussing with the Namibian side some of the development assistance projects. Each year, China provides hundreds of scholarships and training programmes for Namibian people,” Zhao noted.
He continued: “It’s very important to bear in mind that China-Namibia economic cooperation is in essence South-South cooperation. China remains a developing country, taking into consideration per capita GDP and other factors. As the largest developing economy in the world, China has always been ready to help other developing countries. I believe that very soon, China will make a major announcement of its new programme of providing strong support for Africa’s social and economic development”.
Additionally, the Husab Uranium Mine, invested at over US$5 billion, is still the third-largest Chinese investment project in Africa.
Said Zhao: “There are now 56 Chinese companies operating in Namibia and a total of around 1 700 Chinese nationals living here. A lot of them are owners of small businesses of various kinds, who have created more than 10 000 jobs for the local Namibian people. The Chinese-owned Husab and Rossing Uranium mines have contributed to about 7% of Namibia’s GDP, and Husab Uranium alone has paid N$1.53 billion in taxes to the Namibian government in 2021”.
Meanwhile, the trade ministry’s executive director Sikongo Haihambo said China is one of Namibia’s leading trading partners in the world, placing third in terms of exports after South Africa and Botswana. China is currently positioned at second position regarding countries Namibia imports from.
“In 2022, the total trade between Namibia and China stood at N$22.1 billion, recording an increase of 28.1%, compared to the previous year. Chinese investments have played a pivotal role in various sectors of our economy, contributing to infrastructural development, technology transfer, and employment opportunities for our people,” he said.
Haihambo added that the Belt and Road Initiative has also paved the way for connectivity and economic integration, opening doors for increased trade and investment flows between the nations.
“We believe that Chinese investments must look at avenues to grow the domestic industries by investing in further infrastructure to add value to exported raw materials. We have also seen a rise in Chinese mining enterprises, particularly in the areas of granite and dimension stone, lithium, copper and other rare earth metals,” he observed.
Counsellor in charge of economic and commercial affairs at the Chinese Embassy, Jinming Wei noted that the two countries are also natural cooperative partners with complementary advantages in the economic and trade fields.
“The pillar industries of Namibia’s national economy mainly include mining, fishery, agriculture and animal husbandry, and tourism. In recent years, Namibia has been focusing on the development of clean energy such as green hydrogen, wind energy and solar power. China’s huge domestic demand provides a very broad market space for Namibia’s mineral products, fishery, agriculture and animal husbandry,” he stated.
Wei said China has always been committed to supporting the modernisation of Namibia, especially in fields such as mineral resources’ development, road transportation, ports, information and communication.
“Others include infrastructure construction, marine fisheries, education and medical care, a large number of investments, engineering contracting projects, and financial aid projects implemented by Chinese enterprises that have been completed one after another, which has promoted the economic and social development of Namibia and improved people’s livelihoods and well-being,” he shared.