President Hakainde Hichilema returned to Zambia after a successful diplomatic mission in China, where he attended the 2024 Beijing Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC). During his visit, President Hichilema engaged in a series of high-level meetings aimed at addressing Zambia’s energy challenges, increasing investment, and strengthening bilateral ties with China.
President Hichilema’s mission began in Xi’an City, where he met with representatives of LONGi Green Energy Technology Company, a leading Chinese solar company. The discussions focused on securing both short- and long-term solutions to Zambia’s energy deficit, with the company expressing its willingness to collaborate on Zambia’s energy mix program.
In Beijing, the President participated in several bilateral meetings with Chinese companies. He met with officials from the China Non-Ferrous Mining Corporation (CNMC) and the China Railway Construction Corporation (CRCC), where both companies reaffirmed their commitment to expanding investments in Zambia. CNMC, in particular, promised to expedite the operationalization of the 28 Shaft in Luanshya by installing additional pumps to speed up water removal from the mine.
On the diplomatic front, President Hichilema held a crucial meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping, reaffirming the long-standing cooperation between Zambia and China. The two leaders discussed increasing economic activity between their countries, with President Hichilema expressing gratitude for China’s support in various sectors, including energy, infrastructure, and mining. The discussions also highlighted China’s role in global peace and security, which the Zambian leader emphasized as essential for advancing economic development.
One of the key moments of the visit was the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between China Railway Construction Limited and Zambia and Tanzania for the revitalization of the Tanzania-Zambia Railway Authority (TAZARA). This move aims to enhance regional trade and business. Additionally, President Hichilema and Kenyan President William Ruto met to discuss shared challenges, particularly those related to climate change, and explored strategies for building resilience across Africa.
Zambia’s energy sector received a significant boost during the visit with the signing of three agreements between ZESCO and Power China, targeting the diversification of the country’s energy sources. The agreements include plans for rooftop solar projects and solar photovoltaic plants at Kariba North and Kafue Gorge Lower. Another MoU was signed between ZESCO and China Datang Corporation, one of China’s largest energy suppliers, to diversify Zambia’s energy mix away from hydroelectricity.
President Hichilema’s visit also included a meeting with Liu Jiachao, the Chinese Minister of International Department, where they discussed China’s 10-point partnership plan with Africa and China’s continued support for Zambia’s infrastructure development and debt restructuring under the G20 framework.
As the summit came to a close, President Hichilema expressed satisfaction with the outcomes, underscoring the importance of Zambia’s partnerships with China in driving economic growth and energy security. He has since returned to Zambia and thanked Zambians for their support and reaffirmed the UPND government’s commitment to solving the country’s energy crisis.
When has any visit been UNSUCCESSFUL?
Unsuccesful? When King Charles doesnt shake hands with our President
Even that Israeli coach start playing with your balls , he also said his trip to Ivory Coast was successful.
@Nostradamus That coach and those men at FAZ should all be fired!! The coach has never won any game! And loser Kamanga still keeps him! These guys have so much losers’ blood in them they dont get ashamed when they lose. Its an insult to people who have died for that jersey. We are not losers. Kamanga is making us losers. HH fire Kamanga even if FIFA suspend us we will use suspension time to recover.
He wasn’t in China alone and at his initiative. China invited all African Heads of State and many that include HH travelled. China had prepared for the summit. They’d packaged what they had to offer and all delegates chose what they wanted. So it’s misleading to say his trip was successful because each President that travelled got from what was already on the menu. You only score when you initiate and negotiate, not when you pick from what’s offered.
@Ayatollah-
Succesful my foot-please join these lapdog journalists who are trying to put butter on stale bread and serving it to us. May be you might redirect them from bootlicking to reporting. They cant report. They cant analyse. They are praise singers, not journalists.
They went to China to admire their president and for sightseeing. They were telling us about HH securing commitments, ignoring big news such as China giving TAZARA one billion dollars for a revamp.
And why is noone telling us why HH flew Emirates and not the private jet we bought for him? How much did we pay for this switch? The new govt are specialists at throwing our tax down the drain. And we thought we voted in something better?
True it wasnt a diplomatic mission as riff raff reporters put it. This was a three yearly China Africa conference attended by 50 countries. China offered them a 50 billion dollars pledge for financial support. Stop making it sound like we went on a state visit.
How soon should Zambians expect the benefits of our Presidents successful trip?
When do we expect the first investors to come
And invest in the energy sector? lastly when
Do we expect loads shedding to end?
The mistake repeated by every regime that comes and calling every Political leader outing to a foreign country a success. I am not a political person but I know that signing a memorandum of understanding cannot be deemed success. To be fair, it should only be deemed successful if there is a trickle down effect to the people when ever that would be.
Rich people don’t believe that there are people who are poor.
At the Airport it’s reported that the man said LOADSHEDDING IS AN OPPORTUNITY, STOP MOURNING, JUST INSTAL SOLAR. Are these solar panels being given free of charge….sad enough the people were clapping and laughing.
Just look at how large the welcoming back entourage is! All ducking their offices to lounge a the ‘Sausage’ airport. Just a question what would happen you if you absconded from that tarmac? I suspect Musamba would arrest you for seditious activities
It’s being reported elsewhere that apparently they fight to be on that tarmac.
The Prisons service had to seriously demand that they be represented at the “Sausage Tarmac Parade”. One is left to wonder do they also fight similarly for their prisons to have blankets for the prisoners, CCTV cameras, enough food and such stuff?
How is this called a Diplomatic mission when its just an annual event which has been happening since 2000…how is successful….so HH is simply doing what every leader does….traveling wasting tax payers money and calling it a success..
What HH did is like visiting a Car showroom and admire high end cars and promise the salesman that one day you will buy one and you take pictures with a Ferrari and post the pictures on social media
They want to make it look like his was a special invitation. How vainglorious.
I told you guys the all the 20 African leaders went to China to take high resolution pictures and fool their gullible followers back home…..they’re all going back to their countries with massive personal shopping….members of their entourage also just went to China for personal shopping….and next they will be heading to New York for the annual pilgrimage
They went to buy solar panels. No wonder the trip leader insists loadshedding offers opportunities. Get that you chipulukusu residents?
@ Ayatollah
And this is what’s been happening since August 2021….they don’t know the difference between a Diplomatic state visit and an annual event…they lied about being invited to the USA but in the actual sense HH just came for UN General Assembly…and HH went to China with 20 other African begging Presidents and they’re trying to make it look like its was all about HH….and like I said nothing will come out of this summit apart from seeing a hoard of Chinese coming to start chicken run businesses
And how much did this trip cost taxpayers???…just going to China to sign agreements that never materialize…what happened to the agreements he signed last year???…..No wonder Africa remains with dusty roads…zero Sanitation…zero electricity…zero healthcare because of our greedy Politicians are in office for their own personal gains
I’m happy the word “HISTORIC” wasnt used …
Customs and ZRA will be waiting for the plane presumably ?
@ Tikki
Kikikikiki yes under UPND everything is “HISTORIC”…if HH attended the Lusaka Motor show it was going to be labeled as “HISTORIC “…..I think the Chinese annual pilgrim should be labeled as”HISTORIC waste of tax payers money”
Loadsheding is due to corrupt leaders and greedy and thieving ZESCO directors…..stop exporting Electricity…..Stop giving away our natural resources….stop killing our wildlife…stop smuggling Mukula trees to China….LEARN TO TELL ZAMBIANS THE TRUTH….you’re now in power stop acting like you’re still in 2021 campaigning
Even failure under UPND is considered a “Success”…..bebt restructuring was a success according to HH and his minions but in reality debate restructuring was a or still is a complete failure….
This event was just like going to any annual event like going to Mutomboko, Likumbi lyamize, Nchwala or Kuomboka. The only difference is Africa is a ball in the game between the East and West. The only continent rich in natural resources and the East and West are fighting for a share in the resources. What was “successful” about it when loadshedding is heading to the negative hours. Very soon instead of three hours, it will be minus three hours a day. Why didn’t he talk about house holds installing solar on their own during campaigns. Where is the leadership he talked about gone to? Does he have solar at community house? Has the Chambeshi river moved ba Nkombo.
The Supreme leader Ayatollah Hakainde Hichilema has fulfilled all his Campaign promises…the dollar is at k6…. fuel is K5 ….mealie meal is K50….no loadsheding….water 24/7….electricity 24/7….the cost of living is very cheap…the cost of doing business is very cheap…cement is K40…..bread 50ngwee….HH THE DEMAGOGUE PRESIDENT
It is like a student coming out of an exam and before it is marked he calls that he has successfully completed his course. How do we grade the ‘SUCCESS’ of a visit? Let us wait for the results. Pledges are not actions. The Chinese are very polite people. They will never tell you to your face their displeasure.
@Musaninyoze
For as long as HH still has Pompwes like Nevers Mumba and broke Kavindele receiving brown envelopes every month then he thinks he is on higher ground….how can a normal person say that “I’ve successfully visited China”……the Chinese are looking for places to dump their substandard products and Africa is their favorite place…on the contrary the Chinese products destined for USA are very good quality….
HH too much kulibonesha….and the Supreme praise singer Ayatollah Spaka is just praising him because they come from the same village in Magoye
Please define “successful? ‘Expression of interest’; ‘memorandum of understanding’; ‘pledges’ are never the measures of success.
China is currently experiencing a push back from the West and they are turning to our “useful id!ots’ in Africa to try and expand and build their oen Empire. We just need to trade with them as equals; we have abundant resources (copper, iron ore, tin, precious stones; mukula; etc) quality agriculture products.
This ever ending begging for debts and freebies will take us nowhere as a nation. We should learn from our past relationships with the West. We have enough resources and manpower to curve out our own successful destiny. We just need to marshal and mobilise ourselves and our people; and have politicians who are actually there to sacrifice for the common good of our people, not just enriching themselves. We can do it if there is a will from all of us!
This ever ending b&gg!ng for debts and freeb!es will take us nowhere as a nation. We should learn from our past relati0nships with the West. We have enough resources and manpower to curve out our own successful destiny. We just need to m@rshal and m0bilise ourselves and our people; and have politicians who are actually there to s@crifice for the common good of our people, not just enr!ching themselves. We can do it if there is a will from all of us!
When you are poor ,it gives you an opportinute to think how you can improve yourself rather than putting your head into sand and continue mourning.The President is right!As Zambian we need to help ourselves by doing what the President is doing lobbying for the country to those who have capacity. Also,the govenment should create enabling environment by giving ordinary Zambians credit in any form to empower people to start their businesses.
Boss when were you born? We had a better functioning civil service and private sector under KK. We have been doing this since 1991 and the result has been record levels of poverty. The mines used to give business to local companies unlike the current set ip were all lucrative contracts are given to comoanies that belong to white people. They have ended up killing the Copperbelt industrial hub that privided employment to many people. Then it was a choice whether you wanted to work or not. There were alot of genuine businesses not the current corrupt ones. Truth be told as longs us we don’t run our own affairs we wil keep on going backwards. Compare the Copperbelt towns under ZCCM and the current set up. Then u can differentiate between success and self non logical praise.
Boss when were you born? We had a better functioning civil service and private sector under KK. We have been doing this since 1991 and the result has been record levels of poverty. The mines used to give business to local companies unlike the current set ip were all lucrative contracts are given to comoanies that belong to white people. They have ended up killing the Copperbelt industrial hub that privided employment to many people. Then it was a choice whether you wanted to work or not. There were alot of genuine businesses not the current corrupt ones. Truth be told as longs us we don’t run our own affairs we wil keep on going backwards. Compare the Copperbelt towns under ZCCM and the current set up. Then u can differentiate between success and self non logical praise.
Shikulu MuzoOne … there’s nothing for nothing. There’s a trap in everything you receive from these people… they want your resources and as such they will ensure that trap works to their advantage.
Like someone has said KK wanted to ensure Zambia was self sufficient. His failure is too complicated to understand by a biased mind. The Chinese always bring their own labor from fitter, operator, driver .. to General manager.
NO COMMENT
WAITING FOR RESULTS
Hahahahaha, Successful?? I thought the LT was not ZNBC?, For those who might have missed it, the Minister of information in Zambia has just demoted himself to announcing meteorological information. Have all the directors or senior staff at meteorological department resigned? Or is this the bar set by the “new dawn” Govt? When a Govt. has no work to do these are the things that they do. Waste time on things they should not be doing. Will a director at meteorological department fail to announce what this Mweetwa announced?
Working in a Zambian government department is a waste of skill. I enjoy working in a private company because we discuss work with the CEO like equals. I don’t like his idea, explain to him why… he understands and task me to improve on it. At the end of the day we succeed.
Someone in the delegation whose weakness the hosts know, was given a ka samfing in the hotel and filmed. He will be the access point to the President to influence policy as they keep reminding him, ‘to remember the chicken he ate!’
Focac is just a meeting for Chinese export machine and African begging bowls .Its almost a one way traffic from China to Africa. Its a shame.
A Beggars pilgrimage
Zambia is like a shop that runs out of stock and the presidents goes on trips to go shopping for more goods.