Our Star of the Week is the Chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People’s Republic of China, Li Zhangshu, who with a high-level Chinese delegation comprising 50 officials – six of them at ministerial level – was in the country for a meeting with President Hage Geingob and the Speaker of the National Assembly Professor Peter Katjavivi, among others.
Geingob and Li restated the importance of the comprehensive strategic partnership of cooperation existing between Namibia and China after it was signed in March in Beijing by Geingob and Chinese President Xi Jinping. One of the highlights of the trip by the Chinese delegation, who flew back to Beijing yesterday, was that he announced the grant of N$15 million from China that will be used to procure equipment for the Namibian anti-poaching unit that protects rhinos, elephants and other species.
This is not the first time the Chinese government has given a grant towards Namibia’s anti-poaching efforts as it in the past also dished out millions for anti-poaching. The two countries enjoy excellent bilateral relations and China has been involved in major capital projects in Namibia.