Zambia China Relations Could Look up…following President Hichilema´s trip to Beijing
11th Sept 2023
Amb. Anthony Mukwita
President Hakainde Hichilema´s trip to China where he´s scheduled to meet the People Republic of China´s President Xi Jinping could turn around Zambia´s diplomatic fortunes positively said Ambassador Anthony Mukwita.
Mr Mukwita, an international relations analyst, and published author said its ´better late than never´ when it comes to diplomacy, especially when dealing with the second largest economic and military power in the world with a population of more than 1 billion people.
Ambassador Mukwita is a major proponent of good relations between Zambia and China which he has publicly proclaimed in essays and a new book since 2022 after President Hichilema took over power from President Edgar Lungu.
“I wrote in December last year and repeated the call relentlessly in January that if Lusaka continued to ignore Beijing, they would do so at own economic and political peril because you can’t ignore a country you owe more than US$6 billion… we must talk to everyone in diplomacy and openly take sides,” Ambassador Mukwita said.
He was speaking on the heels of rising concerns that Lusaka under President Hichilema ostensibly sided openly more with the West (America and EU) than with others such as China and the Federation of Russia, a diplomatic stance Ambassador Mukwita said could hurt Zambia in the long run.
In fact, a US Senator openly twitted before twitter turned X that President Hichilema was a ´good´ guy because he was ´alienating´ or reducing relations with China in preference to the west, a statement scorned by many in Zambia including the China-Zambia relations.
Mr. Hichilema will be in Beijing from 10-16 September to discuss te dismantling of a US$ 6.3 billion debt Zambia owes Beijing for infrastructure development out of a total foreign debt stock of about US$18 billion according to official records.
Reuters reports that “Zambia’s foreign ministry said Hichilema and Xi would sign several bilateral agreements, including on economic cooperation and investment, and discuss Chinese investment in Zambia’s energy, mining and infrastructure sectors.”
It is a known fact that China has significant commercial interests in Zambia, having invested in over thirty projects in the country through its Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) between 2014 and 2023, according to data compiled by the American Enterprise Institute think tank, worth $11.3 billion in total, ranging from the energy sector to agriculture and aviation.
“We can only win with improved relations between Beijing and Lusaka, and I am personally glad that President Hichilema has finally smelt the tea in China,” Ambassador Mukwita said.
International relations experts contend that Sino Zambia relations have dipped since Mr Hichilema assumed office compared to the days of late President Michael Sata and sixth President of Zambia Edgar Lungu.
“I am hoping this path taken to Beijing could mend that gap and take us back on the love we have enjoyed with China for almost 60 years now,” said Ambassador Mukwita.
More comprehensive details regarding China Zambia relations can be found in Mr Mukwita’ s new book ´China in Africa the Zambia story. ´
The book is available in Bookworld, Grey Matter, Amazon and Takealot.