Vice premier: China to invest more in Namibia

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China plans to increase investment in Namibia in an effort to increase bilateral ties between the two nations, Chinese Vice Premier Zhang Gaoli said on Monday while meeting with Namibian President Hage Geingob in the capital city of Windhoek.

The vice premier said Chinese President Xi Jinping had met with Geingob twice, in Beijing in 2014 and at the 2015 Johannesburg Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC). During these meetings, the two leaders set the direction for the development of bilateral ties.

"My current visit is aimed at working with the Namibian side to carry out major consensuses between the two heads of state, further consolidate our traditional friendship, deepen exchanges and cooperation in various fields so as to materialize more of the FOCAC Johannesburg Summit outcomes in Namibia and bring more benefits to the two peoples," he said.

Chinese Vice Premier Zhang Gaoli (C) visits the container terminal of Walvis Bay, a bilateral cooperation project in Namibia, August 28, 2017. /Xinhua Photo

Zhang said that the two countries need to jointly improve global governance, coordinate on international issues and expand cooperation within multilateral institutions.

The two countries should also expand their cooperation in agriculture, infrastructure, energy, technology, trade and investment, as well as other fields that concern social welfare and judiciary matters, he added.

To boost friendship and mutual understanding, the vice premier urged the two sides to enhance cultural and people-to-people cooperation. Also, encourage exchanges at subnational levels and promote exchanges between media groups, think-tanks, colleges and universities, youths as well as women.

Chinese Vice Premier Zhang Gaoli (6th L) meets with Namibian President Hage Geingob in Windhoek, Namibia, August 28, 2017. /Xinhua Photo

Zhang said important strides had been made in the year since the FOCAC Johannesburg Summit. Common development had been promoted and the two nations set a good example of cooperation between African and other countries, he added.

Zhang also said that China takes Namibia's list of priority programs seriously, voicing hope that the two sides can ensure better communication between their related agencies, and choose to implement programs that can generate sound social and economic benefits.

China's investment in Namibia since its independence in 1990 has surpassed the $60 billion Namibian dollars (4.6 billion US dollars) mark as of March last year, making it one of the highest by any single trading partner to date.

Chinese Vice Premier Zhang Gaoli (C) poses for a group photo with Chinese and Namibian workers while visiting Husab Uranium Mine, a Chinese-invested project, in Namibia, August 27, 2017. /Xinhua Photo

For his part, Geingob said the Namibia-China friendship is time-honored, noting that China offered valuable support for his country's struggle for independence.

Describing China as an all-weather friend for Namibia, he hoped that China could continue to assist it in such fields as infrastructure, agriculture, health, education and energy so as to its promote social and economic advancement in the African nation.

Following their meeting, the two witnessed the signing of documents on economic and technological cooperation and human resources development.

Namibia is the last leg of Zhang's four-nation tour, which has taken him to Kuwait, Saudi Arabia and Sudan. During his stay in Namibia, he also visited the Husab Uranium Mine and Walvis Bay Port, two key Chinese-invested projects in the African country.

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Source(s): Xinhua News Agency