35th anniversary: A new chapter of friendship and cooperation

Editor's note: Li Yujie, a special commentator on current affairs for CGTN, is an associate researcher at the Institute of West Asian and African Studies, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences. The article reflects the author's opinions and not necessarily the views of CGTN.

March 22 marks the 35th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Namibia. Over the past three and a half decades, no matter how the international landscape has changed, the two countries have stood together, steadily deepening their relationship. From political trust to economic cooperation and from cultural exchanges to people-to-people ties, the two countries have achieved fruitful results in many areas.

The foundation of China-Namibia friendship was laid long before the establishment of formal diplomatic relations. As early as the 1960s, China provided support to the South West Africa People's Organization (SWAPO) in its struggle for independence, forging deep revolutionary ties between the two countries and their ruling parties.

On March 22, 1990, just one day after Namibia officially declared independence, China and Namibia established diplomatic relations. In March 2018, then President Hage Geingob paid a state visit to China, during which the two sides upgraded their relationship to a comprehensive strategic partnership, ushering in a new era of China-Namibia friendship and cooperation.

During a meeting with his Namibian counterpart Nangolo Mbumba at the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) Summit in Beijing last year, Chinese President Xi Jinping highlighted that both the Communist Party of China (CPC) and SWAPO are progressive parties with a long history of governance.

SWAPO has incorporated "building socialism with Namibian characteristics" into its party constitution. China is willing to work with Namibia to enhance friendly cooperation between the two countries and between the two parties, strengthen the exchange of experience in party and state governance, share development opportunities and jointly advance the modernization process of their respective countries.

China and Namibia share a highly complementary economic relationship, with trade and investment cooperation achieving remarkable success. This economic partnership has become the most dynamic and promising pillar of the bilateral ties. In 2023, trade between the two countries exceeded $1.3 billion, marking a 16.5 percent year-on-year increase. China accounted for nearly 30 percent of Namibia's total foreign direct investment (FDI), maintaining its position as Namibia's largest source of investment and second-largest trading partner.

Chinese companies have made major investments in Namibia across a wide range of sectors, including energy, infrastructure, mining, marine fisheries, agriculture and tourism. These investments have led to the development of key projects that have played a vital role in Namibia's economic and social progress. For example, the Husab Uranium Mine, China's largest single investment project in Africa, along with the Rossing Uranium Mine which was acquired by a Chinese company, has created nearly 6,000 high-quality jobs in Namibia. These projects continue to make a lasting contribution to the country's economic and social development.

Moreover, Chinese-built roads, ports and other critical infrastructure have significantly improved Namibia's transportation network. Namibian Ambassador to China Elia George Kaiyamo praised the Chinese-built roads in Namibia as the "best in Africa."

Looking ahead, beyond traditional areas of cooperation, Namibia welcomes more Chinese investment in green energy and power generation. With China's leading expertise in electric vehicles and renewable energy technologies, and Namibia's abundant mineral resources, solar energy and wind power potential, the two countries have immense opportunities to explore new areas of cooperation. By harnessing their respective strengths, China and Namibia can inject fresh momentum into the bilateral economic partnership.

In the realm of people-to-people exchanges, interest in learning Chinese has surged across Namibia. A rising number of Namibian youths are attending Confucius Institutes to study the language, while many outstanding Namibian students have traveled to China for higher education, training programs and skill development.

Initiatives such as the Namibia Human Resources Development Seminar, the Overseas Training Program for Namibian Intangible Cultural Heritage Practitioners and the Namibia Capital Project Management Workshop have further promoted knowledge sharing between the two countries, while strengthening Namibia's capacity for innovation. Meanwhile, China's medical aid teams provide diagnostic and treatment services to nearly 10,000 Namibians each year, offering tangible benefits to local communities. Through these practical exchanges and cooperative efforts, the people-to-people bond between China and Namibia continues to deepen.

Namibia is renowned for its diverse landscapes, rich biodiversity and unique natural and cultural heritage, making it an increasingly attractive destination for Chinese tourists. In recent years, Namibia has been ramping up tourism promotion efforts in China and streamlining visa processing. These initiatives will further strengthen pragmatic cooperation between the two countries in the tourism sector. These initiatives can create more convenient conditions for Chinese tourists to visit Namibia and further strengthen China-Namibia tourism cooperation.

The 35th anniversary of the establishment of China-Namibia diplomatic relations presents an important opportunity to further strengthen bilateral ties. The two countries will seize this opportunity to deepen political trust, enhance coordination in development strategies and unlock new drivers of cooperation, working hand in hand to advance modernization efforts.

In Namibia, a country with vast deserts and long coastlines, the story of China-Namibia friendship and cooperation continues to unfold, as it opens a new chapter in bilateral ties and contributes to the vision of building an all-weather China-Africa community with a shared future.

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