China is ready to use its experience to help Zambia unlock its development potential, Chinese Ambassador to Zambia Han Jing, said at a press conference in Lusaka Zambian capital.
Han made the statement on the outcomes of the just-ended Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) held in Beijing.
“China stands ready to share its own development experience and opportunities with Zambia, a country rich in natural resources and human capital.
“It would help to unlock Zambia’s great potential for socioeconomic transformation with increased productivity, higher value addition, stronger resilience, and a higher degree of adaptability to a digital world,” said Han.
Han said China’s demography and experience of development in many ways mirror those of Zambia.
He said that China was ready to offer its experiences in various areas such as infrastructure construction, green energy, agricultural modernisation, and industrial expansion.
The Chinese ambassador said China was encouraging more Chinese businesses to engage Zambian partners in solar energy and water management to help the southern African nation tackle the current electricity crisis.
According to him, China is working with the Zambian authorities to make strategic plans for multiple means of power generation, storage, and distribution to help Zambia end the current power cuts.
Han said that once materialised, the strategic plans would not only help alleviate frequent power cuts but also turn Zambia into a net exporter of electricity.
He said a number of cooperation documents signed aimed at diversifying Zambia’s energy mix will generate an additional 720 megawatts of electricity once completed.
He also said the revitalisation of the Tanzania-Zambia Railway would be a key project in promoting regional connectivity in the southern African region.
The railway line, he said, would not stop at being just a symbol of traditional friendship but would also be turned into a dynamic economic corridor.
He noted that the summit has opened a new chapter of China’s relations with Africa as well as Zambia through comprehensive political and socio economic engagement with great significance and far-reaching impact for the next three years.
He said the contracts and agreements signed at the FOCAC summit will not just end at signing ceremonies.
Once inked, both sides will amplify synergy in their collective push for inclusive and sustainable development.
