Your Excellency, MRS. MUTALE NALUMANGO,
Acting President of the Republic of Zambia,
Honorable Ministers and Members of Parliament,
Permanent Secretaries and Senior Government Officials,
Mr. Huang Yaochi, the Board Chairperson of United Capital Fertilizer Zambia Company Limited,
Ladies and Gentlemen,
Good Afternoon！
It is my great pleasure to attend the Ground-Breaking Ceremony for the Construction of the United Capital Fertilizer Zambia Company Limited. With the joint efforts of friends from China and Zambia, the United Capital Fertilizer Zambia Company Limited will start its construction today. The project is a very important part in the industrial and agricultural cooperation between China and Zambia. It is another successful story of our friendly relations and the strengthening of economic and trade cooperation between our two countries.
This project is coming at a very proper time. Taking this opportunity, please allow me to extend my heartfelt thanks to the Zambian government, and all the Chinese and Zambian friends who have rendered great support to the project. I would also like to extend my warm congratulations to the United Capital Fertilizer Company and all the Chinese and Zambians who will benefit from the project.
Ladies and gentlemen,
In recent years, the cooperation between China and Zambia in various fields has already developed comprehensively and rapidly, and achieved fruitful results. There are more than 600 Chinese enterprises in Zambia now with an investment of about 4 billion U.S dollars in the areas of energy, infrastructure, agriculture, health, livelihood and manufacturing, and created over 50,000 local jobs. Zambia has become one of the best destinations for Chinese investment in Africa. Last year, despite the pandemic of Covid-19, China's direct investment in Zambia reached 500 million U.S dollars, ranking at the first place among all African countries. Last year, the bilateral trade volume between China and Zambia reached 4 billion U.S Dollars, of which Zambia enjoyed a trade surplus of 2.6 billion US Dollars. The completion of the Kennith Kaunda International Airport, the Simon Mwansa Kapwepwe International Airport, the Levy Mwanawasa university teaching hospital and the Kennith Kaunda International Conference Center, which is under construction now, have all demonstrated the fruits of practical cooperation between China and Zambia.
Ladies and gentlemen,
China has committed to using our resources and technologies to provide assistance to Zambia’s grain production and exports of agricultural products. The Agriculture Technology Demonstration Center in Lusaka, which is supported by China, has provided training programs to thousands of Zambian technicians and farmers, and carried out productive cooperation in areas of agricultural research and education with the University of Zambia and other research institutions. Chinese enterprises have also invested heavily in the agricultural sector in Zambia, some of which has produced abundant agricultural products for the domestic market, created hundreds of job opportunities for the local people, and become a flagship and a token of the Chinese-Zambian cooperation in agriculture. In November last year, following the best-selling of Zambian honey in China, Zambian blueberries were also successfully exported to China for the first time. We would certainly like to see that more quality agricultural products of Zambia will go into the Chinese market in the future.
Ladies and gentlemen,
Zambia is endowed with favorable natural conditions. Its mild climate and abundant sunshine, the fertile land and the third-largest water reserve on the African continent, make the country very agreeable for human settlement and agricultural development. It has a great potentiality of becoming the food basket for the African continent. The production and application of fertilizers will greatly increase the productivity of agriculture and bring about more benefit to the farmers. It is my firm belief that the United Capital Fertilizer Zambia Company Limited will provide quality fertilizer products, create more jobs for Zambians and promote the development of agriculture of Zambia.
Your Excellencely, ladies and gentleman,
The Construction of the United Capital Fertilizer Zambia Company Limited once again demonstrates that the practical cooperation between China and Zambia will not be affected by any challenges including the pandemic. China will always be a sincere friend and a reliable partner of Zambia. The Chinese government is willing to continue to encourage strong and credible enterprises to invest and develop their businesses in Zambia. It is my expectation that a better business environment will be created for foreign investment in this country, as promised by the new administration of Zambia. This is surely an effective strategy for an early recovery of the economy and boost Zambia's development and prosperity in the foreseeable future.
Thank you all!