‘Bright future’ for Nam-China cooperation

Augetto Graig – The Chinese ambassador to Namibia, Zhang Yiming, says he is confident that China-Namibian relations will become a model for China-Africa relations and South-South cooperation.

“With its crucial geographical position, political and social stability and well-off infrastructure, Namibia enjoys exceptional advantages in the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) cooperation and building itself as a regional economic hub,” Zhang told Market Watch.

BRI cooperation will provide Namibia with an extra path for poverty alleviation, job creation and solving other development problems, he said. “There is a bright future for the pragmatic cooperation between China and Namibia under the framework of BRI.”

The BRI was raised by Chinese President Xi Jinping in 2013. It aims at promoting economic cooperation and improving the infrastructure to set up all-dimensional, multi-tiered and composite connectivity networks.

So far, the BRI has received close attention from all over the world, Zhang said. “More than 100 countries and international organisations, including Namibia and other 30 African countries, have signed memorandums of understanding (MoUs) on BRI cooperation with China.”

Zhang said Africa plays an important role in BRI cooperation. “Countries in the Eastern Africa, like Kenya and Ethiopia, are forerunners in BRI cooperation and they have already benefitted tremendously from the railway, industrial park, airports, ports and other projects under the framework of BRI.”

‘String of Pearls’

Asked whether the Walvis Bay Port will be part of China’s “String of Pearls”, Zhange said: “I wonder how the words ‘China’s String of Pearls’ came about, because such a string doesn’t exist at all.”

The Walvis Bay port expansion project includes the container terminal on reclaimed land in the Port of Walvis Bay and the national oil storage facilities, which is funded by the Namibian government and undertaken by China Harbour Engineering Company Ltd (CHEC) as a contractor.

“It is no more than ordinary business cooperation,” Zhange said. “CHEC won the bid through a fierce competition with many other world-class enterprises.”

He said once this project is completed next year, the Walvis Bay Port will become one of the largest and best-equipped ports in Southern Africa along the Atlantic coastline, which will further strengthen Namibia’s status as regional logistics hub and gateway for its neighboring landlocked countries like Zambia and Botswana.

Trade

Trade and an economic bond forms an important part of the Comprehensive Strategic Cooperative Partnership with China, according to Zhange said.

During the state visit of Pres Hage Geingob to China in March this year, Namibia’s and China’s bilateral relations were elevated and resulted in the partnership, which is in the highest category of China’s foreign relations. “This fully reflects the profound historical friendship and in-depth political mutual trust between China and Namibia,” Zhange said.

In the first quarter of 2018, China substituted South Africa for the largest export market of Namibia, with a volume of N$3.4 billion which accounts for 18.3% of Namibia’s total export.

The protocol on beef exporting was also signed, which makes Namibia the first African country to be allowed to export beef to China.

The first batch of beef will be shipped to China in the near future, Zhange said. In addition, China is already Namibia’s largest oyster exporting market, he added.

“I am very confident that this partnership will not only boost the trade, but also further enhance the friendship between our two countries and peoples,” Zhange said.