China deserves an apology,Kambwili tells HH
By Kombe Chimpinde Mataka
IT’S not wrong for you to tender an apology for the inconvenience caused to the Government of the People’s Republic of China, Kambwili has told President Hakainde Hichilema.
Kambwili, in a Facebook video on Sunday, said it was now over 96 hours since US Senate foreign relations committee ranking member senator Jim Risch announced that “President Hichilema is working hard to curb China’s malign and predatory influence in Zambia”.
He noted that there has been no statement of clarification from the Zambian government or President Hichilema himself.
“Country men and women, Zambia will not be used as a pawn to fight other people’s battles. The commercial fight between the US and China must be left to the Americans and the Chinese but Zambia must not be brought in the picture that we are either siding with China or US. We enjoy a cordial relationship with the American people and its government. We also enjoy a cordial relationship between Zambia and the People’s Republic of China,” Kambwili said. “This statement has a potential to destroy our relationship with China which has done so much for Zambia just as much as the Americans have done so much for Zambia. Today the Americans are almost single handendly funding our fight against HIV and also drugs related to the fight against HIV. We appreciate them for that but for a senator to say that our President ‘is working hard to curb China’s malign and predatory influence in Zambia’ is a very serious indignation which dents the relationship between Zambian and China.”
Kambwili also alluded to the debt restructuring programme, where China represents the biggest stake in the negtotiations.
“As we stand today the government is negotiating a debt relief or debt restructuring deal and the major player in this debt restructuring is China which is owed in excess of $6 billion out of the debt that Zambia owes other debtors. Now imagine a situation where China says we are pulling out from this debt restructuring because we have been described as a predator or we are having a predatory influence in Zambia, where will it leave the restructuring programme that Zambia, the IMF and China have embarked on?” he wondered. “My heart bleeds and it is with a heavy heart that I ask the President to tell us whether indeed these words were used in the interaction with Jim Risch. China deserves an apology. They do not deserve this description. Our relationship with China is not predatory but mutual, of respect and mutual understanding. It is therefore imperative that the President, I plead with you, clear the air and even if was not said, as long as you had a meeting with Jim Risch, please it is not wrong for you to tender an apology for the inconvenience caused to the Government of the People’s Republic of China through this statement.”
Kambwili said he was treating the matter as an allegation that called for a response from the President.
“This relation is beyond the tenure of office of President Hakainde Hichilema. It is beyond the tenure of office of the UPND government. I beg you Mr President this statement cannot go unchallenged 96 hours after it went viral,” he said. “Let me also render an apology, if these words were indeed said by Jim Risch or our President, please accept our apology. We remain committed to the friendship that exists between China and Zambia.”
Kambwili challenged the government to clear the air on Risch’s tweet.
“This issue can only be cleared by three institutions. The Ministry of Information, the department of press at State House or the President himself. I treat it as mere allegation but it is a matter that needs clarity,” he said.
“We request that you complain officially to His Excellency the President of the United States of America against Jim Risch for casting aspersions on the relationship between Zambia and China and ask that Jim Risch apologises and withdraws the tweet if at all he tweeted,” he urged. “Ask that senetor Risch apologises and withdraws the tweet if indeed he tweeted. If you did also tweet these words in your interaction we also request that you also apologise to the People’s Republic of China and also to the Zambians because what was said if it was said does not represent the feelings and the views of Zambia in as far as the relationship between China and Zambia is concerned.”
Kamwbwili said China and Zambia’s relations were not predatory.
“The relationship with China and Zambia has been that of mutual trust and respect and it has been a win-win situation. Mr President, it is 96 hours since this tweet went viral on the 15th [of December]. From 15th, 16th , 17th today is 18th. It is 96 hours. We have not heard any clarification from the chief government spokesperson. We have not heard any clarification from the presidential spokersperson. We have not heard clarifications from the President himself over this matter which is very important and has a potential to destroy the relationship that Zambia enjoys with China. It is against this background that your Excellency I am worried as a citizen of Zambia that there has been no statement from the government, from yourself Mr President or indeed your spokesperson to dispel these assertions,” said Kambwili.
