By H.E. Mr. Du Xiaohui, Chinese Ambassador to Zambia
On September 28th and 29th, the China-Zambia Trade and Investment Forum was successfully held. I had the honor to accompany H.E. the President Hakainde Hichilema to attend the opening ceremony and delivered remarks. The forum is a renewed commitment by China and Zambia to all-weather friendship ahead of China's National Day, which falls on October 1st. It shows that both sides are ready to work together to take advantage of the development opportunities of the two countries for the benefit of the two peoples.
Over the last 73 years, the great Communist Party of China has led the heroic Chinese People to stand up, grow rich and become strong. Tremendous changes have taken place in the country and the people's living standards have improved substantially.
In the new era, under the leadership of President Xi Jinping, China has made gigantic achievements. China eliminated the absolute poverty which has endured for thousands of years, lifting nearly 100 million people out of poverty, realizing the goal of the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development 10 years ahead of schedule. China has established the world's largest social security system, with 1.36 billion people covered by medical insurance. In the last decade, China's GDP has remained the second largest in the world, growing at an average annual rate of 6.6 percent. China's average contribution to world economic growth has exceeded 30 percent, ranking the first. For the past 2 consecutive years, China's total trade in goods and services has been the world's largest, and its GDP per capita has exceeded 12,000 US dollars. China leads the world in renewable electricity generation capacity, which has reached to 1.1 billion kilowatts. With the number exceeding 10 million, China has become the biggest producer and consumer of new energy vehicles. Chinese people are enjoying a growing sense of fulfillment, happiness and security, and achieving the centenary goal of the Great Rejuvenation of China.
The 20th CPC National Congress will be held on October 16th, which is a congress of great significance to be convened at a crucial moment, as the CPC embarks on a new journey toward building a modern socialist country in all respects, and advance toward the Second Centenary Goal. The Congress will deploy strategic tasks for the next 5 years and the next decades, to present to the world a new path of modernization, showcase China's ideas, contribute China's wisdom and share China's opportunities. China is willing to share development achievements with Zambia and learn from each other's development experience. China's door of opening-up and friendly cooperation will always be open to Zambia.
China's development cannot be achieved without the support of brotherly countries like Zambia. The core elements of China-Zambia relations lie in 3 unbreakable principles:
First, the China-Zambia traditional friendship is unbreakable. The friendship between the two countries is cemented by blood and sweat. In the era of national liberation movements, the Chinese People, who also suffered from colonialism, helped build the TAZARA under extreme difficulties, laying the solid foundation of the All-Weather friendship. Chairman Mao and President Kaunda guided the two peoples shoulder by shoulder and unequivocally opposed the colonialism, hegemony and power politics, making tremendous contribution to the independence and liberation of Southern Africa. Recently, President Hichilema attended the launch ceremony of the TAZARA memorial park, honored 36 Chinese martyrs who sacrificed their lives in Zambia for China-Aided projects, and expressed his expectation of continuing traditional friendship and pushing forward bilateral relations with China.
Second, the political mutual trust between China and Zambia is unbreakable. The successful phone conversation between President Xi Jinping and President Hichilema advances bilateral relations into the new phase of “ All-Weather, All Dimensional and High Quality ”. The two countries enjoy profound political mutual trust and have always given each other firm support on issues concerning core interests and major concerns. For example,on the debt issue, China has never pressed Zambia for payment of debt, never played it up in the media, never interfered in Zambia's internal affairs. On the contrary, China has pushed for the launch of the Creditors’ Committee and took the Co-Chair at the request of Zambia, so that Zambia could receive assistance from multilateral financial institutions as soon as possible. Together with the UN and countries that uphold fairness and justice, President Hichilema and his government have carried on the fine tradition of firmly supporting the one-China principle on Taiwan question, and have given China precious support when it comes to internal affairs.
Third, the friendship between our two peoples is unbreakable. China has taken concrete actions to benefit Zambian people and help Zambia pursue development. My personal experience has proved time and again that no person or force could break the profound friendship between our two peoples. For more than 30 years, the Chinese Medical Team and Chinese Military Medical Team, which are fully funded by the Chinese government, have been highly praised by all stakeholders for healing the wounded and rescueing the dying. The first-class facilities of the Kaunda International Conference Center helped Zambia successfully host the AU Summit. The Kafue Gorge Lower Hydro Power Station, built by Chinese company, takes up 22% of Zambia’s total electricity generation capacity, making Zambia a net electricity exporter. China is an important trade partner of Zambia. Zambia gained 2.92 billion US dollars from trade surplus with China in the first half of this year.
The 3 unbreakable principles have been the cornerstone for the steady and long-term development of bilateral relations. China-Zambia relations have become a benchmark for China-Africa friendship and a model of South-South cooperation. Standing on a new historical starting point, China will continue to follow the principle of sincerity, real results, amity and good faith and the principle of pursuing the greater good and shared interests put forward by President Xi Jinping, and promote bilateral practical cooperation under the framework of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation and the Belt and Road Initiative to continue to benefit the two countries and peoples.