An international relations analyst has underscored the role of China-Namibia ties in promoting the African country's national development, highlighting the potential for expanding trade, technology transfer, and infrastructure cooperation to address evolving development needs.
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi is visiting Namibia, the Republic of the Congo, Chad and Nigeria on January 5-11. His first stop is Namibia.
China and Namibia have had a strong relationship since establishing diplomatic relations 34 years ago. Their ties are marked by mutual support, with China becoming Namibia's second-largest trading partner. Leading up to the southern African country's independence, China strongly supported the Namibian people in their struggle for liberation as the last country on the continent to decolonize.
The two countries established relations on March 22, 1990, the day after Namibia's independence. Over the years, the two sides have continued to bolster bilateral ties through a series of cooperative projects, with a particular focus on areas such as infrastructure, energy and natural resources.
Bilateral trade reached 1.4 billion U.S. dollars last year, and China accounts for about 30 percent of the total foreign direct investment in Namibia, official data showed.
"The trade has increased over the years, especially in terms of exports, [which] is mostly mineral resources. Namibia is rich in mineral resources including uranium, gold. And of late we have also seen the exporting of Namibian beef to China and also in the areas of fisheries," said Marius Kudumo, director of International Relations at the Namibia University of Science and Technology.
"But obviously there's a need of improving this relationship in terms of import [in] manufacturing items as well as technology related items. And we also have many Chinese citizens who are doing business in Namibia in the various areas, also big projects in terms of road construction and so on, there are Chinese companies that are involved," he said.
Along with economic development, China has supported Namibia in its social development, bringing tangible benefits to the Namibian people. China has completed several aid projects in Namibia, including well drilling, affordable housing, children's activity centers, rural schools, youth training centers, irrigation projects and aquaculture centers.
Kudumo noted that the bilateral relationship has evolved over decades, calling for more collaboration that aligns with Namibia's current national priorities, going above and beyond the independence movement that took off in the mid-20th century.
"The fact that Namibia is collaborating with China, there are also interests that Namibia wants to advance. These interests are not starting in the 60s, it's about political relations in the fight for liberation. After independence, it's about development, both human development, infrastructural development, development that are intended to improve the material conditions of people. So if China is involved in Namibia, it's to the extend contributing to what Namibia has identified as priority areas in national development," said the professor.
Expert calls for closer ties with China to drive Namibia's development
