Chinese Premier Li Qiang arrived in Zambia's capital of Lusaka on Wednesday for an official visit to the African country.

Li said that Zambia is the first country in Southern Africa to establish diplomatic ties with China, and the two countries share a profound tradition of friendship.

Over the years, despite changes in the international landscape, China and Zambia have consistently respected, trusted and supported each other, jointly forging the spirit of China-Africa friendship and cooperation, including the Tazara spirit, he said. 

The Tazara spirit refers to mutual respect and equality, tenacity and perseverance, and selfless internationalism embodied in the construction of the Tanzania-Zambia Railway (Tazara) in the 1970s, a landmark cooperation project undertaken by China, Tanzania and Zambia despite harsh conditions and limited resources. It has since become a symbol of China-Africa friendship.

Li noted that in recent years, under the strategic guidance of Chinese President Xi Jinping and Zambian President Hakainde Hichilema, the two countries have steadily deepened their political mutual trust and achieved fruitful results in various sectors, setting a model of solidarity and collaboration among developing nations.

During the Beijing Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) in September last year, the two heads of state held a meeting, which pointed the direction for further deepening the comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership between China and Zambia, said Li.

Li said that China stands ready to work with Zambia to carry forward the traditional friendship, deepen mutually beneficial cooperation, promote mutual understanding and affinity between the two peoples, and advance together on the path of modernization.

Faced with a world of intertwined changes and chaos, China is willing to enhance multilateral communication and coordination with Zambia, stand united with the broad ranks of Global South countries, safeguard the international order as well as fairness and justice, and promote the building of a community with a shared future for humanity.