President Hakainde Hichilema has finally held talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping, almost 10 months since taking over the presidency.
The phone conversation was held on Tuesday in a move many analysts would feel will help smoothen relations between Lusaka and Beijing.
Many feared that President Hichilema’s administration was warming up too much and too quickly to the western powers at the expense of long held relations with China.
In the discussion, President Xi said China is ready to push ties with Zambia to higher levels.
He said China attaches great importance to its relations with Zambia, and is ready to work with Zambia to consolidate and deepen their friendship and push bilateral ties to higher levels and broader areas.
President Xi added that over the past year, China-Zambia relations have maintained positive momentum adding that China will promote the entry of more Zambian products into the Chinese market, especially high-quality agricultural goods.
He told President Hichilema that China will also strengthen counter-epidemic control cooperation with Zambia.
President Xi hailed the all-weather friendship between China and Zambia and stressed that the bilateral friendship is unbreakable.
And on his Facebook page, President Hichilema said it was a pleasure to speak to President Xi.
“It was a pleasure to speak this morning with His Excellency President Xi Jinping of the People’s Republic of China, about the array of opportunities on the horizon for our two nations. Zambia and The People’s Republic of China share a deep and longstanding relationship, and we are committed to building on these strong foundations to create a brighter future for our people,” he wrote.
“We discussed the potential for greater cooperation and win-win partnerships, the abundant investment opportunities that Zambia offers, and our shared commitment to working together to address and resolve the debt issue.”
He added, “As our two nations take bold steps together in the spirit of genuine partnership, we look ahead to a new chapter of enhanced bilateral relations, which will improve the lives of our citizens for generations to come.”
The talks were widely reported on Chinese state television.
The Chinese media report did not mention Zambia’s external debts.
In 2020, Zambia became the first nation to default in the COVID-19 era.
As of end-2021, Zambia’s external debt reached $17.27 billion, of which China held $5.78 billion.
Just so it for formality my president,otherwise there is no chinese money that made anyone rich-not even the chinese themselves.
* Do it
He even quality agricultural products? The plastics that himself and his people export to Africa – Is that quality? let us export the same level of quality we import pls. Look at all the Chinese bridges and roads? Look at all the chinese malls-nothing they make ever stands the test of time-hence too let us export waste cabbage and tomatoes to china pls. Quality must go to people/countries that export quality to us ,US, Europe , Dubai ETC.
The Chinese now understand that a strong economically focused zambia free of corruption is in their best intrest…………
The days of zambia getting crap deals because of corruption in statehouse are gone………….
Zambia comes first……………
When import substitutions with local manufactured goods really kicks in , zambia will indeed be free………
Foolish president. He thought he was clever. The whltes have shown him poker face now he wants to run to china
F00lish president. He thought he was clever. The whltes have shown him poker face now he wants to run to china
With that fraud convict corrupt theiving lawyer lungu in state House……….
The Chinese goverment did not want anything to do with zambia, instead……..
They let crooked Chinese companies deal with zambia…………….
Like paying out millions of dollars in corrupt deals with lungu and his gang for universities that were never built……..
Let us not f00l ourselves even if we are staunch supporters of HH. China has been a stumbling block from getting access to IMF loans. The president should have kept a balance from the beginning, but he silenced China while he was rubbing shoulders with western leaders, which has portrayed him as an Uncle Tom. China is teaching Zambia that you cannot do without us. The truth is that HH had no choice but to ground himself before the Chinese President after realising that China was going to make it hard for us because it has the largest share of our debt. China did not request this phone call. It was the finance minister who convinced HH to make this call after Musokotwane exhausted all his efforts.
# 06 Spaka
Whats your take on the President personally giving a $50 Million fertilizer Deal to his friend who owns Alpha Commodities raised the fertilizer bid higher than when PF was in power. And because of that we have the price of fertilizer going up. IS THAT NOT CORRUPTION HAPPENING TOO EARLY IN THIS GOVERNMENT……??
He only shows his teeth when he is talking to whlte people.
#s 7, 8 Mutafela Mulife
China would rather have a good economic manager, they know now their investments won’t be lost…………
The president was not ignoring China but was establishing lost trust with the west……….which was a known fact to China.
China was not going to lend zambia any more money….the credit account was maxed out by PF………..other sources had to be found…..and that was the west.
That fertiliser deal was a condition for backing UPND………its called lobbying in the the west. Every democratic government in every country has its backers who get preferential contracts. Simple.
Like the president had any choice. Edgar China Lungu maxed out the loans from China, and made the Chinese very scared by not paying the interest loans. So Xi Jumping just wanted to make sure ZAMBIA is going to pay back those ridiculous big loans from the horrible incompetent PF government.
Now that you ve talked to him no need to fly to China but knowing you gallivanting Zambian presidents you will still be flying to Beijing cos ruling oarty members want to go shop with our tax as their allowances
# 10 Spaka
Spaka
You must learn to call a spade a spade. When Lungu got RB’s support after Sata died, RB managed to get Lungu millions of $ Dollars from Saudi Arabia because RB had good international contacts having spent years in the diplomatic mission. This money from Saudi Arabia funded Lungu’s campaign and they also used it to buy PF Campaign Vehicles which have now been compounded. Some of this money is what Lungu used to buy a house in Swaziland. UPND knows this but they would rather sing the song to Zambians that all money used for PF Cars was stolen money. We are doing this to destroy PF. Zambia needs a strong opposition party for true democracy to flourish. As for lobbying done by Alpha Commodities, if it was PF you would call it corruption ..Period! It’s nothing but…
run out space…# 13
It’s nothing but corruption. Open your eyes. Let us fight corruption in fare process not lies. I can also tell you that a lot people in UPND including cabinet members are not happy and see it as corruption. Just like a lot people in the top position are not happy that his wife is the government minister and spokesperson who has no clue and she is not even trying hard. Just start being honest with yourself and not to intentionally blind.
Bo Mutafela Mulife / #8
I agree with you. The $50m fertiliser deal is corruption. HH has failed to address the nation on the matter. As UPND we need to call out corruption within the party. It starts with the president himself. I was offered a job in UPND government and turned it down because my 2 children are in UK Secondary Schools. The third one is going to University. I have a good job so is my wife. I do talk to people on the ground including ministers and permanent secretaries every week. Alpha Commodities fertiliser deal is a dirty deal and corruption. People in UPND are disappointed about the deal. But we note some bloggers on lusakatimes are not strong observers or live in denial.
Why not a video call? I mean a phone is kind of strange especially if you have translators…please just pay off the Chinese debt accrued by PF and set Zambia free stop dancing around with US one week then Russia the next day now China. What UPND foreign policy?
Chimbwi No Plan he used to call his friends…
Tarino Orange is back!!!!!