Thursday, March 28, 2024

Zambia, China sign grant agreements worth over US $60 million

Share

Vice President Guy Scott talks to Chinese Vice President Li Yuanchao during a meeting at Government House in Lusaka
Vice President Guy Scott talks to Chinese Vice President Li Yuanchao during a meeting at Government House in Lusaka

Zambia and China have signed two economic and technical cooperation grant agreement each worth 200 million Chinese Yaun or about US$64 million.

Finance Minister Alexander Chikwanda signed on behalf of the Zambian government while China’s Vice Minister of Commerce Li Jinzao signed on behalf of his government.

The two ministers also signed the framework loan for the concession loan for the upgrading of the Kenneth Kaunda International Airport.

They also exchanged notes on the adjustment to the Mpika urban road project, borehole drilling project, vocational training supplies, wildlife protection supplies and the mass calisthenic technical cooperation project.

The signing of the eight loan and grant cooperation agreements were held at government house in Lusaka last night.

Vice President Guy Scott and his visiting Chinese counterpart Li Yuanchao witnessed the signing of the loan and grant agreements.

Dr. Scott and his team also held closed door talks with Dr. Li and his delegation that lasted for close to an hour.

And the Vice President has lauded Zambia’s relations with China saying China has been an all-weather friend for Zambia for many years now.

He said China constructed the TAZARA railway at the time when Zambia badly needed a route to export and import goods even though at the time China itself was facing some economic difficulties.

The Vice President said the construction of the TAZARA railway line helped to liberate Zambia from the sanctions it was facing at the time from the South.

He said before the building of TAZARA, Zambia was deprived of many essential goods such as fertilizer and food stuff, saying Zambia will therefore forever remember China’s goodwill.

Meanwhile, Chinese Vice President Li Yuanchao said his visit to Zambia was aimed at lifting bilateral relations and cooperation to a higher level between the two countries.

He said his visit to Zambia was not only to promote economic cooperation but to also enhance the cooperation between Zambia’s ruling Patriotic Front and Communist Party of China.

Dr. Yuanchao said while the two countries have enjoyed cordial relations for the past 50 years, he hoped his visit will further cement and push the two countries’ relation to a higher level.

He noted that Zambia and China’s relations were of profound friendship that was created by the older generation of the leaders of the two countries such as China’s late leader Mao Zedong and Premier Zhou Enlai and Zambia’s first President Kenneth Kaunda.

The Chinese Vice President said bilateral ties between Zambia and China have withstood profound changes in the international landscape in the past five decades.

He said Zambia China relations have brought concrete benefits to both sides.

Vice President Li said in 2013, the Chinese trade volume hit US3.8 million and Chinese investment in Zambia totalled US$2.6 billion creating about 50, 000 jobs.

The Chinese Vice President is in the country at the invitation of Dr Scott. He is also scheduled t hold talks with President Michael Sata, First Republican President Dr. Kaunda and PF Secretary General Wynter Kabimba.

Vice President Guy Scott presents a gift to Chinese Vice President Li Yuanchao at Government House in Lusaka
Vice President Guy Scott presents a gift to Chinese Vice President Li Yuanchao at Government House in Lusaka
Finance Minister Alexander Chikwanda and Chinese Vice Minister of Commerce Li Jinzao (left) sign various agreements as Vice President Guy Scott and Chinese Vice President Li Yuanchao  look on at Government House in Lusaka
Finance Minister Alexander Chikwanda and Chinese Vice Minister of Commerce Li Jinzao (left) sign various agreements as Vice President Guy Scott and Chinese Vice President Li Yuanchao look on at Government House in Lusaka
Finance Minister Alexander Chikwanda exchanges folders with Chinese Vice Minister of Commerce Li Jinzao (left) after signing various agreements in the presence of Vice President Guy Scott and Chinese Vice President Li Yuanchao (second from left) look on at Government House in Lusaka
Finance Minister Alexander Chikwanda exchanges folders with Chinese Vice Minister of Commerce Li Jinzao (left) after signing various agreements in the presence of Vice President Guy Scott and Chinese Vice President Li Yuanchao (second from left) look on at Government House in Lusaka
Finance Minister Alexander Chikwanda shakes hands with Chinese Vice Minister of Commerce Li Jinzao (left) after signing various agreements in the presence of Vice President Guy Scott and Chinese Vice President Li Yuanchao (second from left) look on at Government House in Lusaka
Finance Minister Alexander Chikwanda shakes hands with Chinese Vice Minister of Commerce Li Jinzao (left) after signing various agreements in the presence of Vice President Guy Scott and Chinese Vice President Li Yuanchao (second from left) look on at Government House in Lusaka

39 COMMENTS

    • oh no! Not another loan! We are once again a highly indebted country.Who gives Chikwanda a right to keep signing away…surely the Zambian people need to be informed.

    • Amazing the trust the Chinese have in President Sata

      It will be folly and silly to put any other party but in PF come 2016

      Congratulations on behalf of most Zambians.

      Thanks

    • talk about addiction…. kaloba addiction not cure, known or unknown cure nothing,,,, worst than ´HIV/AIDS which at least has ARVs

    • the entity mushota: here is further proof ati it only wants to be controversial. Yesterday it was strongly against the chinese coming here saying they are reaping zambia off, lelo ati it is amazing the confidence the chinese have in zambia which it makes clear, that its a good thing. Self conflicting entity. Kapela Njaa!!! Again ba LT ban this entity!!! we dont want things wasting peoples time by reading nonsense and inconsistencies here!!!! As an LT blogger, am making the first electronic signature to have it banned. Ngayafika 100 ninshi chapwa. The entity is banned, olo ichinje ishina we shall know it by its works.

    • I think am becoming to love Nubian Princes, her thinking is more than romantic but quixotic.
      She thinks short and quicky, how can one come up with “SOLD”.

    • iwe nostradamus, nubian wandi. nalisala kale. I noticed and appreciated her in that sense before you did. so bakamba talukeniko kuli uyu wena. uwenu ni charlotte. Kaili mwalitemwa abasungu lol. Nga twafula fwe balepandilila nubian kuti asuka atukana bonse!!!

    • @Zagaze, its not because Charlotte musungu, but ama manners are so right!! I simply love her more than Guy.
      Ok Nubia sorry, Ba Zagaze baliposa kale manifesto… twalashako Ex-moma, I will never leave local bleed, village concept mudala.

  1. We do get money day after day from Kunda , Chiluba, Levy, Banda and present govt but we lack a constitution as a structure for institutional guidance. Get the system which allows transparency and strict monetary integrity . BOOM U WILL ENJOY THESE MONEYS

    • And that’s all these OLD RUGS know, borrowing. Can you in the same vein know how to generate your own Money instead.

  2. The borrower (Zed) is a slave to the lender, Prov 22 v 7. This simple statement from the Bible is difficult to grasp by the PF govt because of their learning disabilities(chumbu). We will end up highly indebted all over again.

    • @IamFRAS,Is the congratulations in order?for what?For sending the country further into debt.Can’t we raise this money from withholding tax from mining conglomerates like KCM.Really do we need all these debts

    • REALLY! You mean sign the country into debt is progressive?Can’t we raise that money through other means?When pf came to power MMD was about to expand the airport through a Turkish construction company.They condemned everything MMD was about to do?What has happened?

  3. Read the small print and you will fine that the trms are that Chinese firms design and build …. more contracts for Chinese firms when are these empty tins in this government going to ever wake up.
    Can’t they use the bond money for this.

  4. The Chinese will give you the grant and a Chinese company will be given the tender and our children will be impoverished because they are now enslaved to the Chinese.Botswana is now crying because of over reliance Chinese construction company.
    The Sir Seretse International airport is still incomplete,the Francistown stadium also incomplete.These were supposed to have been complete before the last World cup in South Africa.

    The new power station is full of design flaws and is being redesigned,
    A complete new double secondary school in the north was built without brick force.

    I can go on and on.Just because they built the TAZARA does not mean they are experts in all areas.Don’t say you were not warned!

    • Its likened to shoprite giving you a loan in form instore vouchers. As long as we have these dinosaurs in power we will always settle for sub standard construction buildings like Levy stadium.

  5. Now that we have the loan,lets all sit back ,enjoy ,steal , squander this public money.
    God help us pay back this khongole……

    viva zambia.

  6. I would love to see the American vice president visit Zambian to sign agreements. sad though just in my dreams. They just talk human right this human right that!

  7. Did our dear sickly Kays, Charles, Mwango, Micheal, Chilufya ever apologise to the chinese for calling them ‘infestors’ or did they merely bribe him to shut his big mouth for once?

  8. Thanks LT for keeping us in the know. But out the $64 million, how much is for the loans and what amount is for the grants? It would help the readers to judge how far we are sinking into debt and also appreciate how much technical and financial assistance we are receiving from the Chinese. That will clear the air so that those who feel all the $64m could debt could then know the actual debt that has been contracted!

  9. Thanks LT for keeping us in the know. But out of the $64 million, how much is for the loans and what amount is for the grants? It would help the readers to judge how far we are sinking into debt and also appreciate how much technical and financial assistance we are receiving from the Chinese. That will clear the air so that those who feel that all the $64m could be debt can then know the actual debt that has been contracted and the amount that has been “donated”!

  10. @Bush Doctor, from the Bush you are saying only the British could sign things they understand with China? Please quit being disrespectful.

  11. “Prince and Princess Akishino of Japan are this month end scheduled to visit Zambia”
    Some ZW Dog will claim only because its our 50th year of independence. Japanese royalty do not just visit any run of the mill place. Zambia is really rocking. Its the place to be.

Comments are closed.

Read more

Local News

Discover more from Lusaka Times-Zambia's Leading Online News Site - LusakaTimes.com

Subscribe now to keep reading and get access to the full archive.

Continue reading