Pulling itself up by Chinese bootstraps

Zambia wants China's help to become a prosperous, middle-income country by 2030

Zambia is seeking more Chinese investment in its natural resources, more help in diversifying its economy and more Chinese visitors, says Gertrude Kasuba Mwape, Zambia's ambassador to China.

And more Chinese, she says, will soon have a chance to learn about her country, which has been undergoing reforms and making important economic progress of late.

A forum focusing on tourism, investment and trade opportunities in the country will be held in Beijing in late October, as part of the Zambia-China Golden Jubilee Commemoration (1964-2014), Mwape says. Details on activities are to be released by Zambia's embassy in China next month.

"We encourage more Chinese investment and trade with Zambia for a mutually beneficial and sustainable relationship," she says. "This partnership will go a long way in realizing Zambia's vision of becoming a prosperous, middle-income country by 2030."

Zambia is a nation of 14.6 million that was the British colony of Northern Rhodesia before becoming independent in 1964. The economy traditionally has relied on copper mining.

In 2010, the World Bank named Zambia one of the world's fastest economically reformed countries.

China has been involved in helping build Zambia for a long time, and Mwape expressed thanks, especially for help in constructing the 1,860 km Tanzania-Zambia Railway line in the 1970s.

Bilateral trade between Zambia and China reached a record $3.8 billion last year. Chinese investment in the country was about $2.6 billion last year, and more than 500 Chinese companies now operate in the country, creating about 50,000 jobs for locals.

Zambia is endowed with abundant natural wealth, including extensive mineral resources such as copper, cobalt, uranium, coal and gold; large agricultural resources with more than 400,000 square kilometers of arable land; and numerous rivers, lakes and tourism sites such as Victoria Falls, which is a UNESCO world heritage site, 20 national parks and 36 game reserves with a wide variety of wildlife.

Mwape says Zambia is the second-largest cooper producer in Africa and seventh in the world.

"The government of Zambia invites investment in value-creating industries as a means to diversify the economy," she says.

Through the Forum on China-African Cooperation, Zambia has received a number of benefits, such as zero tariff treatment on up to 190 export items, the first Multi Facility Economic Zone built by Chinese companies in Zambia in 2010, and China's inclusion of Zambia on the list of countries with Approved Destination Status, which makes it easier for Chinese nationals to visit, she says.

Zambia's GDP is now about $22 billion and its per capita income about $1,658. The country has been stable economically for more than 10 years, with GDP growth of 7.1 percent last year.

Sun Jialin, vice-general manager of China Nonferrous Metal Mining (Group) Co Ltd, which began working in Zambia 16 years ago, says the country has a stable society, a developed legal system and rich natural resources.

The government has been very dedicated to economic development and the country has great potential in mining, agriculture, manufacturing and services, Sun says.

Zambia is one of the company's most important markets and a base for its entry into nearby countries.

Besides economic and political cooperation, Zambia and China also share growing cultural ties, including people-to-people exchanges, Mwape says.

Zambians benefit from Chinese government scholarships for undergraduate and postgraduate students at Chinese universities. Last month, 21 Zambian scholarship recipients graduated at universities in China, while another 37 new students will begin their studies next month, thanks to the scholarships.

chenyingqun@chinadaily.com.cn

(China Daily Africa Weekly 08/22/2014 page22)