People in Lesotho expect Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi's visit to the country will deepen bilateral cooperation between China and Lesotho.
Wang is visiting Africa, continuing the unbroken 36-year tradition of Chinese foreign ministers choosing Africa as their first overseas destination each year. Lesotho is the final stop of his African trip from January 7 to 12.
Many people in Lesotho believe the visit will strengthen bilateral cooperation in infrastructure, agriculture, and trade.
Moretlo Letebele, a resident of Maseru, the capital city of Lesotho, said the Ha Mpiti-Sehlabathebe Road, one of the key projects of China-Lesotho cooperation under the Belt and Road Initiative, has already reshaped daily life in Lesotho.
"It's now easier to get to facilities. It has helped us in terms of tourism, in terms of health. Getting to the clinics is now easier. In terms of tourism, getting to our National Park, it's now easier, because it was a travel route that used to take an hour and a half to get to. So now it's easier -- it now takes a few minutes to get there," she said.
China has also supported agricultural initiatives in Lesotho, including storage and logistics facilities aimed at strengthening food security.
Projects such as Juncao mushroom cultivation have introduced new farming techniques, which have helped rural households generate income and reduce vulnerability to economic and climate shocks.
Experts said the timing of the foreign minister's visit is significant for the country.
Lesotho's textile sector -- one of the country's biggest employers -- was badly hit last year after steep tariffs imposed by the Trump administration restricted access to the U.S. market, leading to factory closures and job losses.
"Lesotho is a big textile exporter. It's a big producer of textiles and the manufacturing of fabrics and all these kinds of things. So for China, this is an important sector. It also produces a lot there. Lesotho is also a strategic partner. Lesotho is a very important producer of textile within the SADC (Southern African Development Community) region," said Jervin Naidoo, a political economist at Oxford Economics Africa, an economic advisory firm based in South Africa.
Still recovering from recent economic shocks, Lesotho is closely watching Wang Yi's visit for signs of deeper cooperation in trade, investment, and other sectors that will benefit the small nation and its people, experts said.
Lesotho looks to deeper cooperation ahead of Chinese FM's visit
The Guangdong–Hong Kong–Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA) is emerging as a key engine for China's fast-growing low-altitude economy by leveraging its dense industrial networks, efficient logistics systems, and rapid innovation capacity.
From logistics and manufacturing to urban services, the region is building an integrated industrial chain that allows low-altitude industries to scale up at unprecedented speed, thus turning drone-based applications from isolated trials into large-scale, commercial operations.
China's 15th Five-Year Plan, covering 2026 to 2030, calls for the cultivation of new pillar industries and the accelerated development of strategic emerging industrial clusters, including the low-altitude economy.
At a drone operations center in Bao'an District, Shenzhen City in south China's Guangdong Province, a dozen logistics drones take off and land within minutes. Urgently needed production parts, documents, and small parcels are dispatched from here to cities in the province including Dongguan, Zhongshan, and Zhuhai.
Behind these high-flying aircraft lies what observers describe as an "invisible industrial chain", built on speed and efficiency.
"Look at this aircraft. About 90 percent of its components come from nearby areas. Relying on Shenzhen's strong logistics capabilities and its complete supply chain, these parts can be delivered to our factory within half an hour for assembly, processing, and production," said Li Kunhuang, person-in-charge of Shenzhen GODO Innovation Technology Co., Ltd.
Once a new product is unveiled, testing and calibration begin immediately at the drone testing field. As soon as the process is completed, the new models can be put into real-world operation, realizing almost “zero delay” from research and development to application.
Supported by a robust industrial chain, low-altitude routes in Shenzhen are effectively connecting the urban landscape. From its Bao'an District to Songshan Lake in Dongguan City, production components can be delivered within one hour. Supplies are transported between Zhuhai City's Xiangzhou Port to Dong'ao Island in just 25 minutes. And light industrial goods can travel round-trip within a single day between Guzhen Town in Zhongshan City and Xinhui District in Jiangmen City.
More low-altitude application scenarios are expected to be implemented in the near future.
In Qianhai District, Shenzhen is accelerating the construction of a pilot demonstration zone of low-altitude integrated three-dimensional transportation hub.
"We have built the country's first low-altitude integrated three-dimensional transportation hub, and are gradually developing a pilot flight zone that integrates multiple scenarios such as inspection, logistics, and cultural tourism. This will provide technical support for the next step of commercializing cross-border logistics and emergency rescue services across the Guangdong–Hong Kong–Macao Greater Bay Area," said Wu Xuemin, head of the Shenzhen Qianhai Low-Altitude Integrated Three-Dimensional Transportation Hub Pilot Demonstration Zone.
Integrated supply chains propel Greater Bay Area's low-altitude economy growth
