THE ZAMBIA-CHINA FRIENDSHIP ASSOCIATION RESPONSE TO LATEST ANTI-CHINA RHETORIC FROM ZAMBIAN NGO- Community Action Against Corruption.
The Zambia-China Friendship Association would like to correct the wrong ideas and deliberate misinformation and also reject the falsehoods that were spread by the NGO called Community Action Against Corruption (CAAC)as reported in a news article posted on the Phoenix News Facebook page on the 27th of April,2023, alleging that China is an economic danger to the continent and Zambia and promotes corruption, without any evidence.
CAAC has instead gone on to advise that our government align our country to the IMF and World Bank for us to prosper and that Zambia should just find money ( without saying where this money would come from) and pay our debts.
What needs to be understood by CAAC and others who are either genuinely ignorant or supposedly in the employ of the enemies of the two brotherly nations ; is that China has been a friend of Zambia from a long way even before our independence and has never supported our enemies like other countries and organisations the CAAC is advocating for.
It is appaling that, in this day and age, there are still people who have not grasped the complexity and multifaceted nature of our external debt problem. Zambia needs to work with multilateral, bilateral, and private financial institutions to restructure its debt. It is gratifying that our government is very much aware of this challenge and is working tirelessly to ensure everyone is on board. How the CAAC can fail to appreciate this basic fact is mind-boggling. China as Zambia’s all weather friend has demonstrated its goodwill to Zambia by co-chairing the official creditors’ committee.
Further evidence of the good intentions of the Chinese government and it’s people towards Zambia cannot have been better put than by Ambassador
Du Xiaohui when he met with U.S. Ambassador to Zambia Michael Gonzales at the later’s request and exchanged views on issues of common interest. Among the major consensus the two sides reached were the following :
- Both sides should support President Hakainde Hichilema in his efforts to develop the Zambian economy.
- Both sides should help Zambia resolve its debt issue by cooperating rather than publicly blaming.
- The efforts of the Chinese government in fighting corruption have been highly recognized by the international community.
- Chinese enterprises have made important and practical contributions to Zambia’s national development. ( Take the Sinoma cement factory, since it’s establishment the price of cement has stabilized and boosted the building industry and infrastructure such as roads, bridges, schools, hospitals and many more, also agriculture is being boosted by the Fertilizer manufacturing company, which has been strategically selected by the UPND government to avert a fertilizer shortage this coming planting season just to mention a few such critical Chinese enterprises).
Ambassador Du highlighted that China and Zambia have been enjoying the all-weather friendship based on equality and mutual respect. China, as a member of developing countries, will continue to support Zambia in its efforts to independently seek a development path suited to its own national conditions and uphold international fairness and justice.
In conclusion, it is in Zambia’s best interest to not only maintain but enhance our level of cooperation with our Chinese friends. We know that there are those like CAAC in Zambia and abroad who would wish for this special friendship between Zambia and China to sour out of sheer jealousy and ignorance, but the bonds that bind our two great peoples are forged in blood and therefore too strong for any of our detractors to destroy.
end.
issued by: Chibeza Mfuni –
DEPUTY SECRETARY GENERAL
DATE: 28/04/23