Zambia – A Cornerstone of China-Africa Friendship
BEIJING – Wang Heming, Director General of the Bureau of Sub-Saharan African Affairs at the International Department of the Communist Party of China, states that Zambia holds a central role in the China-Africa relationship.
Mr. Heming further attributes the success of China’s CPC to the hard work and unwavering loyalty of its 96 million members in a country with a population of 1.4 billion.
He stresses that the CPC adheres to a people-centered philosophy, focusing on improving people’s lives, eradicating poverty, and providing security, while also emphasizing the need for the UPND to strengthen its governance and membership training.
The CPC senior official made these remarks during a meeting between the UPND delegation, led by party Treasurer General Watson Lumba, and the International Department of the CPC today in Beijing, China.
Mr. Lumba, in his remarks, acknowledges the strength of the Zambia-China relationship, as exemplified through projects such as TAZARA and TAZAMA, especially during a period when Zambia faced its own socio-economic challenges.
He commends China for its assistance to Zambia during difficult times, including during liberation wars, infrastructure development, and the COVID-19 pandemic, even at the expense of its own people.
UPND spokesperson Cornelius Mweetwa, who is also part of the delegation at the invitation of the CPC, states that his party’s visit to China is aimed at adopting some of the best practices in governance and economic diplomacy from the CPC.
The visit to Beijing and other cities at the invitation of the Chinese ruling party aims to exchange ideas on governance, economic empowerment, membership growth, and political party sustainability.
The delegation to China comprises senior party officials from the Secretariat, Mobilization, Women, Media, Members of Parliament, Provincial Chairpersons, and Provincial Ministers.
The CPC has been China’s ruling party since 1949, making it the world’s longest-ruling party, now celebrating its 74th year in power, and overseeing China’s most prosperous period, with the country now ranking as the world’s second-strongest economy.
Diplomatic ties between Zambia and China date back to 1964, making Zambia the first post-colonial country in the Southern African Development Community (SADC) to establish such a friendship.
Chinese President Xi Jinping is expected to visit Zambia next year as part of the celebrations marking 60 years of unbroken friendship between the two countries.
The delegation is expected to return to the country on Wednesday, October 25th, 2023.
This story has been adopted from the UPND Zambia.
