If I go to Beijing, it doesn’t mean I’m against Washington, Hichilema tells diplomats
PRESIDENT Hakainde Hichilema says he understands the geopolitics surrounding powerful nations but that they should not drag Zambia into their issues.
The President said Zambia is too small to be drawn into geopolitics, as it only seeks partnerships without being forced to choose sides.
Speaking at the 2026 Presidential Annual Greetings for members of the Diplomatic Corps in Lusaka this morning, President Hichilema explained that when he visits a particular nation or city, it does not mean he is against other cities or countries.
He said Zambia is open to partnering with any country, regardless of what other countries may have against that particular nation.
He encouraged diplomats from powerful nations to work towards assuring peace, stability and security around the world.
“When we are in Beijing, we are not against Washington. Please, we don’t want to be drawn into your geopolitics; we are too small. We are too busy trying to make sure schoolchildren are sitting on desks, they were sitting on the floor. Don’t drag us into those issues, just keep our world peaceful,” he pleaded.
“You are the big guys who should assure global peace, security and stability and we can all benefit from that. But if you drag us into those issues, you create unnecessary pressure on us. So if I am in Beijing, I am not against Washington, we are not against London, Brussels, Rome or Berlin.”
The Head of State noted that Zambia remained committed to bringing business back home to improve the economy.
“We want to bring business home, which will create opportunities for our people. We want to lower the cost of doing business. We understand the issues among yourselves, but make our world safer,” he said.
The Head of State explained that Zambia subscribes to a rules-based international order, which is meant to benefit small countries and the global community at large.
By Catherine Pule
Kalemba, January 29, 2026
Now you understand the geopolitical pressure of the West and East. Be strategic
When the bull elephants fight, it the grass that suffers. This is one of the reasos why Patric Lumumba was assassinated. Cold War between the West and USSR
And the Jonas Savimbi led rebellion and civil war in Angola has the blessing of R.R
America is a stupid bully. Russia is the best friend of Africa follow by the mildly crooked and selfish China.
When we got independence, Britain, America, France and Germany all refused to fund Kafue Gorge, Tazara, Tazama and all other big projects.
Russia, China, Yugoslavia (then and now Croatia, Montenegro, Serbia, Slovenia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Macedonia) and Poland came to our rescue.
Kaunda kept good relations with our colonizers but it was a one sided affair. No benefit for Zambia. He reduced his friendship with China after chairman Mao Zedong died in 1976 and Deng Xiaoping took over. Our copper was going mainly to the westerners after Mao’s demise. Our armageddon happened in in 1979 just three years after Mao died – Copper prices slumped worldwide.
Kaunda was cheated by the westerners, especially Britain to adopt a British consumption lifestyle and not invest in economic diversification and self-reliance. We were living like British citizens in Africa eating copper money without investing it.
Managing directors of Parastatals were having 5 cars or 7 cars. Workers of Zambia airways were flying daily to every place in the world in first class for not even a ngwee, buying expenssive clothes and other esthetic trinkets. Zambia Railways under Enos Haimbe father of Mulambo was giving workers free first class rides to every town from Livingstone to Chililabombwe.
It was simply consumption, consumption, consumption and Zambians committed the worst sin in life…they became lazy and forgot about production and investment into major areas like power diversification: old thermal power plants were shit down …like the one at zesco head office today; no investment into solar power ( became commercialized worldwide in 1956) UNZA only taught Hydro electric power even today 2026. Ther is no solar or wind power course at unza (I left in 1995 majoringTelecoms).
Agriculture was only casually talked about right from Kaunda’s times to date. Only white descendants of British colonial settlers and Jews whose parents escaped the holocaust. Names like Lendor and Burton, Abe Galaun, Guy Scott, Bruce Miller, Somerset, Brooks, Vincent etc were serious. Even today, Zambia has failed to seriously invest in sustainable agriculture: no canals, no crop diversification, no crop marketing, power or non existent roads and railways into farming areas etc etc.
They have made farm blocks on paper but no serious investment.
Way forward:
1. Grab our mines back and reverse late Chiluba’s moronic mistake.
2. Built concrete not bitumen roads in all farming areas across the country.
3. Built main supply water canals and dams to the farm areas countrywide to eradicate completely the traditional dependence on rain fed agriculture. Let government be the buyer of first choice from designated depot’s in allfatm areas at an average distance of 10 km from every farmer nationwide.
4. Set up modern and proper storage of all kinds of agricultural product including animal sheltering for large scale selling in the major cities like Lusaka, Chipata, Kasama, Ndola, Kitwe, Mwansa, Monze, Choma, Kalomo, Livingstone, Sinazeze, Siavonga, Chirundu, Mongu, Mumbwa, Petauke, Lundazi and Chinsali.
Government must have proper refrigeration facilities to keep meat fresh for long spells since solar and wind power will supplement hydro power at all major nodes in this agro network.
5. Send sustainable solar and wind power to the farming areas as hydro power is unreliable.
6. Make agricultural sciences and engineering courses free at all universities countrywide to attract learning.
7. Establish agro financing as a law to compel money lenders like commercial banks give loans to farmer’s and government must be the guarantor. This will make government directly hands on in our agricultural revolution than what is obtaining today where it is just a vubuzela blower on the terraces and only doing window dressing.
8. Open up regional and overseas markets for our well packaged and branded agricultural products. NAMIBIA, Botswana, Zimbabwe (to some degree but they are serious though), are arid countries with ready market for our agricultural products.
Tropical agricultural products are very nutritious and are needed worldwide.
I can go on but I will end here.
For those who are blessed with reading enjoy the wisdom of the 70s veteran in Zambia
We have seen it all. We worked in the mines when Zambia was at its peak.
God bless our christian nation.
How has Kanitundila been allowed to post such a long reply? Is h/she one of the LT people? Anyway, this needs a few corrections. Mao’s China was isolationist and pushed millions of peoiple into poverty. Modern China was created by Deng and he opened China to the world. Just imagine if China were to build TAZAR today, it would be the wonder railway of Africa. Mao’s China was poor. We should emulate Deng’s China- open for business, socialist at home but viciously capitalist abroad. Zambia should be buying mines in Congo, Zimbabwe, South Africa, etc.
America is a stupid bully. Russia is the best friend of Africa follow by the mildly crooked and selfish China.
When we got independence, Britain, America, France and Germany all refused to fund Kafue Gorge, Tazara, Tazama and all other big projects.
Russia, China, Yugoslavia (then and now Croatia, Montenegro, Serbia, Slovenia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Macedonia) and Poland came to our rescue.
Kaunda kept good relations with our colonizers but it was a one sided affair. No benefit for Zambia. He reduced his friendship with China after chairman Mao Zedong died in 1976 and Deng Xiaoping took over. Our copper was going mainly to the westerners after Mao’s demise. Our armageddon happened in in 1979 just three years after Mao died – Copper prices slumped worldwide.
Kaunda was cheated by the westerners, especially Britain to adopt a British consumption lifestyle and not invest in economic diversification and self-reliance. We were living like British citizens in Africa eating copper money without investing it.
Managing directors of Parastatals were having 5 cars or 7 cars. Workers of Zambia airways were flying daily to every place in the world in first class for not even a ngwee, buying expenssive clothes and other esthetic trinkets. Zambia Railways under Enos Haimbe father of Mulambo was giving workers free first class rides to every town from Livingstone to Chililabombwe.
It was simply consumption, consumption, consumption and Zambians committed the worst sin in life…they became lazy and forgot about production and investment into major areas like power diversification: old thermal power plants were shit down …like the one at zesco head office today; no investment into solar power ( became commercialized worldwide in 1956) UNZA only taught Hydro electric power even today 2026. Ther is no solar or wind power course at unza (I left in 1995 majoringTelecoms).
Agriculture was only casually talked about right from Kaunda’s times to date. Only white descendants of British colonial settlers and Jews whose parents escaped the holocaust. Names like Lendor and Burton, Abe Galaun, Guy Scott, Bruce Miller, Somerset, Brooks, Vincent etc were serious. Even today, Zambia has failed to seriously invest in sustainable agriculture: no canals, no crop diversification, no crop marketing, power or non existent roads and railways into farming areas etc etc.
They have made farm blocks on paper but no serious investment.
Way forward:
1. Grab our mines back and reverse late Chiluba’s moronic mistake.
2. Built concrete not bitumen roads in all farming areas across the country.
3. Built main supply water canals and dams to the farm areas countrywide to eradicate completely the traditional dependence on rain fed agriculture. Let government be the buyer of first choice from designated depot’s in allfatm areas at an average distance of 10 km from every farmer nationwide.
4. Set up modern and proper storage of all kinds of agricultural product including animal sheltering for large scale selling in the major cities like Lusaka, Chipata, Kasama, Ndola, Kitwe, Mwansa, Monze, Choma, Kalomo, Livingstone, Sinazeze, Siavonga, Chirundu, Mongu, Mumbwa, Petauke, Lundazi and Chinsali.
Government must have proper refrigeration facilities to keep meat fresh for long spells since solar and wind power will supplement hydro power at all major nodes in this agro network.
5. Send sustainable solar and wind power to the farming areas as hydro power is unreliable.
6. Make agricultural sciences and engineering courses free at all universities countrywide to attract learning.
7. Establish agro financing as a law to compel money lenders like commercial banks give loans to farmer’s and government must be the guarantor. This will make government directly hands on in our agricultural revolution than what is obtaining today where it is just a vubuzela blower on the terraces and only doing window dressing.
8. Open up regional and overseas markets for our well packaged and branded agricultural products. NAMIBIA, Botswana, Zimbabwe (to some degree but they are serious though), are arid countries with ready market for our agricultural products.
Tropical agricultural products are very nutritious and are needed worldwide.
I can go on but I will end here.
For those who are blessed with reading enjoy the wisdom of the 70s veteran in Zambia
We have seen it all. We worked in the mines when Zambia was at its peak.
God bless our christian nation.