SPEECH BY HIS EXCELLENCY MR. RUPIAH BWEZANI BANDA, PRESIDENT OF THE REPUBLIC OF ZAMBIA, DURING HIS MEETING WITH HIS EXCELLENCY MR. WEN JIABAO, PRIME MINISTER OF THE PEOPLE’S REPUBLIC OF CHINA IN BEIJING ON 26TH FEBRUARY, 2010
YOUR EXCELLENCY, MR. WEN JIABAO,
I WISH TO THANK YOU FOR FINDING TIME TO MEET WITH ME AND MY DELEGATION.
SINCE OUR ARRIVAL IN CHINA, WE HAVE BEEN ACCORDED THE WARM AND FRIENDLY CHINESE HOSPITALITY.
YOUR EXCELLENCY, ZAMBIA ATTACHES GREAT IMPORTANCE TO THE CORDIAL RELATIONSHIP THAT EXISTS BETWEEN OUR TWO COUNTRIES.
YOU MAY RECALL THAT ZAMBIA WAS ONE OF THE FIRST AFRICAN COUNTRIES TO ESTABLISH DIPLOMATIC RELATIONS WITH THE PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC OF CHINA.
WE ARE SATISFIED WITH THE FRIENDLY COOPERATION AND MUTUAL UNDERSTANDING THAT HAS EXISTED AND DEVELOPED SINCE THEN.
ZAMBIA AND CHINA HAVE ALWAYS ENJOYED WARM HISTORICAL BILATERAL RELATIONS FOUNDED ON FRIENDSHIP, EQUALITY AND MUTUAL RESPECT THAT DATES BACK FROM THE TIME ZAMBIA OBTAINED ITS INDEPENDENCE.
THIS HAS BEEN EVIDENCED BY HIGH LEVEL VISITS FROM BOTH SIDES. THE FIRST PRESIDENT OF THE REPUBLIC OF ZAMBIA, DR. KENNETH KAUNDA HAD A CLOSE RELATIONSHIP WITH CHAIRMAN MAO AND HE VISITED CHINA SEVERAL TIMES.
THE LATE PRESIDENT, DR. LEVY MWANAWASA VISITED CHINA ON TWO OCCASIONS IN NOVEMBER 2003 AND DECEMBER 2006 WHILE PRESIDENT HU JINTAO VISITED ZAMBIA IN MARCH 2007.
THESE VISITS ARE A TESTIMONY OF THE STRONG BONDS OF FRIENDSHIP EXISTING BETWEEN ZAMBIA AND CHINA.
YOUR EXCELLENCY, I WISH TO TAKE THIS OPPORTUNITY TO EXTEND MY SINCERE THANKS TO THE GOVERNMENT AND PEOPLE OF CHINA FOR THE CONTINUED SUPPORT RENDERED TO THE GOVERNMENT AND PEOPLE OF ZAMBIA OVER THE YEARS.
THIS SUPPORT HAS BEEN EVIDENT IN MANY AREAS INCLUDING AGRICULTURE, COMMUNICATION AND TRANSPORT, EDUCATION, MANUFACTURING, HEALTH, INFORMATION AND BROADCASTING INFRASTRUCTURE DEVELOPMENT, MINING, ENERGY SECTOR, DEFENCE AND CULTURAL EXCHANGE INCLUDING DIPLOMATIC TRAINING.
YOUR EXCELLENCY, SPEAKING OF THE MORE RECENT PAST, ZAMBIA IS GRATEFUL FOR THE SUPPORT RENDERED DURING THE GLOBAL FINANCIAL CRISIS.
LIKE MANY OTHER COUNTRIES, ZAMBIA WAS NOT SPARED FROM THE IMPACT OF THE CRISIS. HOWEVER WE MANAGED TO WEATHER THE STORM DUE TO, AMONG OTHERS, THE SUPPORT RENDERED BY THE CHINESE PEOPLE ESPECIALLY IN THE MINING SECTOR.
WHEN MOST OF THE MINING COMPANIES WERE SCALING DOWN ON THEIR PRODUCTION, EMPLOYMENT AND INVESTMENT, THE CHINESE PROMISED THAT THEY WOULD NEITHER SCALE-DOWN ON LABOUR NOR PRODUCTION AND INDEED THEY KEPT THEIR PROMISE.
THEY ALSO CONTINUED TO INVEST. THAT GOES TO SHOW HOW COMMITTED THE CHINESE ARE TO FRIENDSHIP AND MUTUAL BENEFIT.
ECONOMIC COOPERATION
YOUR EXCELLENCY, I HELD VERY SUCCESSFUL TALKS WITH HIS EXCELLENCY, PRESIDENT HU JINTAO ON BILATERAL TIES. WE REACHED IMPORTANT CONSENSUS ON FURTHER DEEPENING THE CHINA-ZAMBIA RELATIONSHIP AND STRENGTHENING THE PARTNERSHIP.
WE HAVE AGREED ON THE NEED TO EXPAND COOPERATION IN INFRASTRUCTURE, CONSTRUCTION, AGRICULTURE AND FOOD SECURITY, ENERGY, MINING, COMMUNICATIONS AND TRANSPORT, AND TOURISM.
FOLLOWING THE FORUM ON CHINA-AFRICA COOPERATION (FOCAC) IN NOVEMBER, 2006, AND THE STATE VISIT BY HIS EXCELLENCY, PRESIDENT HU JINTAO TO ZAMBIA IN 2007, CHINA MADE SEVERAL COMMITMENTS AND ALL OF THEM HAVE BEEN IMPLEMENTED.
AMONG THE PROJECTS IMPLEMENTED WAS THE CONSTRUCTION OF AN ULTRA MODERN NATIONAL STADIUM IN NDOLA, ESTABLISHMENT OF MULTI-FACILITY ECONOMIC ZONES IN CHAMBISHI AND LUSAKA, THE CONSTRUCTION OF A GOVERNMENT COMPLEX BUILDING AND THE PROVISION OF MACHINERY FOR ROAD CONSTRUCTION.
YOUR EXCELLENCY,
I FOLLOWED WITH KEEN INTEREST YOUR SPEECH DURING THE 4THMINISTERIAL CONFERENCE OF FORUM ON CHINA–AFRICA COOPERATION IN NOVEMBER, 2009 IN EGYPT WHOSE THEME WAS “BUILDING THE NEW TYPE OF CHINA-AFRICA STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIP.”
I COULD NOT AGREE WITH YOU MORE THAT CHINA’S SUPPORT TO AFRICA’S DEVELOPMENT AND IN PARTICULAR YOUR COMMITMENT TO ZAMBIA REMAINS CONCRETE AND REAL. ZAMBIA CAN CONFIDENTLY ATTEST TO THAT.
WE WELCOME THE NEW MEASURES YOU ANNOUNCED DURING THE FOCAC, AIMED AT PUSHING FORWARD THE RELATIONSHIP THAT EXISTS BETWEEN CHINA AND AFRICA.
ISSUES OF CLIMATE CHANGE, SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY, UNDER DEVELOPED FINANCIAL MARKETS, CREATING MARKET ACCESS FOR AFRICAN PRODUCTS, DEVELOPING AGRICULTURE POTENTIAL, IMPROVING THE QUALITY AND ACCESS TO MEDICAL CARE AND EDUCATION CONTINUE TO REMAIN A GREAT CHALLENGE FOR MOST AFRICAN COUNTRIES AND, THEREFORE, ZAMBIA LOOKS FORWARD TO THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THESE MEASURES.
YOUR EXCELLENCY,
THE 10 BILLION US DOLLARS THAT CHINA HAS COMMITTED TO PROVIDE TO AFRICAN COUNTRIES IN FORM OF CONCESSIONAL LOANS IS A VERY NOBLE GESTURE WHICH WILL GO A VERY LONG WAY IN CONSOLIDATING THE GAINS THAT HAVE BEEN ACHIEVED. THIS IS A VERY WELCOME MOVE FOR ZAMBIA.
YOUR EXCELLENCY,
WE HAVE SINCE SUBMITTED TO THE CHINESE GOVERNMENT PROJECTS FOR POSSIBLE FINANCING FROM THE CONCESSIONAL AND PREFERENTIAL LOANS IN THE FOLLOWING AREAS:
- HEALTH: PARTICULARLY THE PROVISION OF MOBILE HOSPITALS.
- WATER AND SANITATION: IN PARTICULAR THE PROVISION OF BOREHOLES IN THE RURAL AREAS AND IMPROVEMENT OF WATER SUPPLY IN LUSAKA.
- CONSTRUCTION OF A STADIUM IN LUSAKA.
- HOUSING DEVELOPMENT AND
- ROAD CONSTRUCTION.
YOUR EXCELLENCY,
ZAMBIA WOULD BE GRATEFUL FOR YOUR SUPPORT TO IMPLEMENT THESE PROJECTS SPEEDILY AS THEY WILL POSITIVELY CONTRIBUTE TO POVERTY REDUCTION.
YOUR EXCELLENCY,
MAY I TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THIS OPPORTUNITY AND THANK YOUR GOVERNMENT FOR THE RMB YUAN 50 MILLION GRANT AND THE RMB YUAN 150 MILLION INTEREST-FREE LOAN THAT YOU HAVE GIVEN TO THE ZAMBIAN GOVERNMENT.
THIS MONEY WILL GO A VERY LONG WAY IN SOLIDIFYING THE ECONOMIC GAINS THAT ZAMBIA HAS MADE OVER THE YEARS AND TOWARDS POVERTY REDUCTION.
IT ALSO GOES TO CONFIRM THE WARM RELATIONS THAT CONTINUE TO EXIST BETWEEN THE TWO SISTER COUNTRIES.
YOUR EXCELLENCY, I WANT TO ASSURE YOU THAT WHATEVER ASSISTANCE YOU RENDER TO US IS PROPERLY USED AND ACCOUNTED FOR TO THE BENEFIT OF ALL ZAMBIANS.
AS YOU MAY BE AWARE, ZAMBIA HAS MOVED TO IMPLEMENT ALL THE PROJECTS AGREED SINCE HIS EXCELLENCY PRESIDENT HU’S VISIT TO OUR PEOPLES BENEFIT.
MAY I ALSO TAKE THIS OPPORTUNITY TO COMMEND YOUR GOVERNMENT FOR THE REMARKABLE PROGRESS MADE IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF CHINA.
CHINA HAS OVER THE YEARS RECORDED TREMENDOUS ECONOMIC GROWTH.
I FURTHER WISH TO COMMEND YOUR GOVERNMENT’S COMMITMENT TO ENSURING THAT THE ECONOMIC GAINS ARE DIRECTED TOWARDS IMPROVING THE LIVELIHOOD OF ALL THE CHINESE PEOPLE.
MAY I AGAIN THANK YOU FOR SPARING YOUR PRECIOUS TIME TO MEET WITH US.
MY GOVERNMENT LOOKS FORWARD TO THE CONTINUED WARM FRIENDSHIP AND MUTUAL UNDERSTANDING BETWEEN OUR TWO COUNTRIES.
