ENVOY DEFENDS AFRICA-CHINA TIES
Written by Millennium on September 11, 2019
NCHIMUNYA CHIDAKWA writes
@SunZambian
WESTERN countries should stop criticizing the relationship that China has with Africa as its cooperation in development strategy is a win-win situation, says Zambia’s Ambassador to Ethiopia Emmanuel Mwamba.
Mr Mwamba said Zambia-China development cooperation was based on mutual respect and not on interference in internal affairs and not attached to any neo-colonialism and setting up African countries in a debt-trap.
In a statement, Mr Mwamba said it was unfortunate that some Western countries were unfairly criticizing the relationship that China enjoyed with Africa despite the tangible development support the continent had received.
He cited the Tanzania-Zambia Railways (TAZARA) that China made huge sacrifices in financial, technical and human resources to complete the project as enough evidence that it was an all-weather friend of Africa.
Mr Mwamba recounted how the grand project of the TAZARA remained a symbol of successful Africa-China relations, as he announced the theme of the 2019 China Africa Cooperation Seminar held in Addis Ababa as “Sustaining China Africa Friendship for a Bright New Chapter
Mr Mwamba said that Zambia-China development cooperation was based on mutual respect to ensure that Zambia accessed the sea for international import and export as its sea routes through Lobito Bay, Angola and Durban in South Africa.
And Chinese Head of the Mission of the people Republic of China to the African Union (AU) Lui Yuxi said external malicious slander that accused China of neo neo-colonialism and setting African counties into a debt-trap were only designed to undermine the relationship between China and Africa.
Another African Union Permanent Representative Committee Chairperson Osmar said Africa valued its cooperation with China as it was sensitive to sovereign issues of not interfering in the internal affair of African countries.
