Reuters reports that China hopes the United States can learn a lesson and “not blurt things out”, the foreign ministry said on Monday, after Zambia denied claims by a White House official that China is about to take over its state power utility to recover debt.
U.S. National Security Advisor John Bolton said on Thursday that China’s quest for more power in Africa was evident in nations like Zambia, where China was poised to take over utility company Zesco to collect the $6-10 billion debt.
Zambian presidential spokesman Amos Chanda told Reuters that China was not planning to take over Zesco and that the figure of between $6-10 billion given by Bolton was wrong. Zambia’s total external debt was now $9.7 billion including $3.1 billion owed to China, he said.
Speaking in Beijing at a daily news briefing, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying said this wasn’t the first time a U.S. official had been caught out on this kind of issue, though she gave no details on that.
“I hope the they can learn a lesson and reflect on things, and going forward not blurt things out again,” Hua said, without elaborating.
Bolton had called the business practices of China and Russia in Africa “corrupt” and “predatory” and said the United States planned to counter their economic and political influence.
Meanwhile, US Ambassador Daniel Lewis Foote clarified in Lusaka that USA National Security Advisor, John Bolton referred to widespread international reports on Zambia regarding Chinese loans and state assets.
Ambassador Foote was responding to Zambia’s notice of a letter seeking clarification from the USA government on the matter.
“While I have seen no evidence pointing towards a ZESCO takeover, the White House referred to widespread reports and approaches the Chinese have already taken in other countries.”
He explained that the thrust of USA Government concerns remained the way China was extending its loans to Africa.
“Such non-transparent contracting and debt acquisition impose unsustainable debt on recipients, fueling corruption and limiting the options for the citizens of recipient countries to determine their future.” Foote said
Negative fake news is being spread from within Zambia by Kainde through his mouthpiece at Zambian Witch Doctor and their partners in destruction Africa Confidential.
Ask Spaka where they meet to spread false news about Zambia. Then they get surprised if we reject them in 2021?
No need for rigging. Your hate will be the death of you UPND.
The truth shall set you free kudos.
Foote is being tactfull so as not to expose US intelligence sources….
Kudos, just know that US embassy on a hill that overlooks the whole Lusaka listens in on all your comms discussing corruption and the selling of Zambia….
You are being recorded ba pompwe..
We expect lungu and his gang to be now flying out of Zambia to discuss terms of corruption for selling Zambias assets to China.
Maybe now they will resort to “write down text only to destroyed immedetly” , WDTDI
while discussing corrupt deals…
Now they know , someone, somewhere is listening and recording their discussions…
“Such non-transparent contracting and debt acquisition impose unsustainable debt on recipients, fueling corruption and limiting the options for the citizens of recipient countries to determine their future.” Foote said, one needs an IQ slightly higher than Sunday Chanda, aka Mr.Kudus to understand this sentence
True @Obatala:
The USA will NOT retract statements by their official.
For those with at least half a brain, digest this statement from the Ambassador:
“Such non-transparent contracting and debt acquisition impose unsustainable debt on recipients, fueling corruption and limiting the options for the citizens of recipient countries to determine their future.” Foote said
Now let us see a response from those that have been abusing our treasure.
It’s darkest before dawn.
The sad thing is that most citizens are truly NOT aware of how some people affiliated are spending tax payer’s money.
We see them come for weekends in London, and blow huge amounts of cash on useless things.
These are the same guys that could not even spell the word London before the PF came to power.
They are the same guys that were content drinking Chibuku before the PF came to power.
Now, they have developed a taste for Cristal Champagne, Caviar, and Russian ho@kers.
This is how your tax is being spent citizens.
Here you go again @Spooked referring to US Intelligence that he has no clue about. Just shut up @Spooked, you don’t even have any clue how intelligence gathering is done.
If you had the slightest of ideas you would have advised your serial sole loser accordingly. Please leave issues that are above your pay grade alone.
The US Ambassador Foote is one of the best the smart people of the Zambian Enterprise are blessed to have in modern history and he is not going to misrepresent facts.
Keep your speculative rants here and leave facts to technocrats.
Spaka it’s illegal for any embassy to listen in on private conversations. You’ve never heard of illegal wire tapping? Anyway we have nothing to hide. Tell your Zambian Witch Doctor to stop spreading sensational fake news to international media outlets. You are killing this nation by reducing investor confidence.
And when Hot FM asked your Kainde to substantiate your Zaffico privatization claims, he blundered and your Witch Doctor started attacking Mutale Mwanza. Change your ways UPND. Under 5.
Soiled dirty BR BAMBA if you think I don’t know anything about Intel gathering good on you. Leave that illusion to me. Just continue rolling in your own sh.it.
Kudos what do you think CIA and other foringe intelligence operatives are doing in Zambia ? Holiday ?? And you think the Americans chose a hilltop for one of the largest embassies in Africa for fresh air ??
Zambia is low on the list of US intelligence gathering but non the less is critical for overall global policy oversight.
Intelligence operatives still perfecting their skills are some of who you find in places like Zambia under the tuition of one or 2 skilled operators.
Non the less the level of intelligence sofistication in that hill top embassy is among the best.
That Chinese encryption chanda thinks protects him is no match to what is under that hill.
We are aware of the names of individuals critical of pf you are trying to identify.
My Foote is true diplomat! He has not refuted the allegation but confirmed it in a diplomatic way for those with brains to decipher.
The truth is;
-PF s’ leaders have denied ever borrowing money from china only to admit later on.
-PF has borrowed money from China using state owned assets as collateral but still denying it.
-PF leaders have corruptly sold poor people s land and pocked the money to fund their luxurious life style.
The US has eyes every where and can see what deals Lungu is cutting and where he is hiding his money. What people should understand is that any international transaction involving transfer of funds passes through the US banks otherwise US sanctions would not effective. So how can normal person expect US not to know whats happening in Zambia.
Lungu…
My Foote is true diplomat! He has not refuted the allegation but confirmed it in a diplomatic way for those with brains to decipher.
The truth is;
-PF s’ leaders have denied ever borrowing money from china only to admit later on.
-PF has borrowed money from China using state owned assets as collateral but still denying it.
-PF leaders have corruptly sold poor people s land and pocked the money to fund their luxurious life style.
Lungu has now resorted to insulting Bembas as being responsible for massive theft and corruption in his government and yet its the whole bunch in PF who are thieves irrespective of which tribe they belong.
Lungu and his PF have increased political risk in Zambia; a major risk which affects FDI and investor confidence.
Lungu must go before he…
SO ITS A LIE KA?
I SAID IT THE ZAMBIAN GOVERNMENT AND THEIR CHINESE COUNTERPARTS HAVE REFUTED THE INFAMOUS REPORTS ON ONE HAND ON THE OTHER SOME EUROPEAN NEWS SOURCES AND THE US SAY OTHERWISE.
See, so it’s a lie.
I needed an unequivocal word from Forte, but it seems he is covering up the boo boo from the most discredited Whitehouse hardliner composition in history.
I like the position of Government though; i.e. wanting to save both US/China bilateral ties. Let the US and China sought out their mess without dragging Zambia in the middle.
More than 50% of Zambians are not happy about the fake news by UPND media outlets which is intended to tarnish Zambia’s image. These 50% + 1 Zambians of the soil will reject Kainde and his UPND Kambwili cartel. GBM’s imbecility will be the least of their worries.
Where are you getting the statistics iwe colokombwe?
How did work out that out…using the dull boy Sunday Chanda’s formulae??
Chileshe Pinto in 2016 Akainde and UPND were rejected by 50% + 1 of the Zambian population. The statistics are very clear.
Gay Jay refer to the statistics above in 2.3. The numbers speak for themselves. Most of UPND and Kainde supporters are only on Facebook
UPND is desperately trying to spin a Privatisation theme around PF and President Lungu. They are daily allleging the selling of assets to China. This is their strategy for 2021.
They have realized that it’s haunting them whenever Zambian people remember the undervaluing of assests during the 1990’s Privatization by Akainde who pocketed $7 million for himself and deposited it in a Panama account.
HAZALUZA HAGAIN, the writing is on the WALL! Hagro!
Who exhumed Kudos from his grave?!
Rather listen to the US, why listen to roaches and thieving debarred morons who we know are thieves and stup!d ones at that matter, coz if a thief is caught then they are dull with no strategy
Morgan twsangarai wanted to take over power using the west and FAILED
Change is home grown. Dont use university headed to report Zambia to TRUMP because he wont vote.
This opposition leader doesn’t know whether he is going or coming. How can someone team up with ka mulongoti or ck honestly
Either way, Zimbabwe the country lost…now to access western funds the whites whose farms were confiscated are demanding $41 billion compensation while munangagwa tried to offer $53 million….
Ask yourself, what influence did the Chinese have in removing Robert G Mugabe in 2017?
Now China has intensified it’s grip, control and access to Zimbabwe’s mineral wealth by reportedly demanding diamonds and oil drilling rights from President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s government, as payment for printing and backing a new Zimbabwe currency, and the building of an opulent new capital city in Mount Hampden, Spotlight Zimbabwe has reported.
The new Zimbabwe dollar is expected to be launched in early 2020, to repeal and replace the surrogate currency of bond notes, and will be backed by the country’s diamond and gold reserves supported by Beijing, which holds the largest diamond reserves in Asia, diplomatic sources in Harare said this week.
Mt Hampden city, the new capital city, itself a…
Continued
… Mt Hampden city, the new capital city, itself a Mnangagwa brainchild mooted when he was still vice president in 2015, is expected to be operational when a new Chinese funded parliament in the city is completed around 2021.
“We are building reserves of gold and diamonds which if they reach a certain level I will not tell you here, it will then allow us to introduce our own currency that will be backed by those minerals. I am not at liberty to disclose to you the level that we want those minerals to reach before they can back our own currency,” Mnangagwa was quoted as saying.
Another diplomat said China had signed a deal on access to Zimbabwe’s oil and gas exploration in 2009, but it had not yet been formalised.
“The departure of President Mugabe affected many deals…
Continued
… “The departure of President Mugabe affected many deals with China, as they had to be revisted when Mnangagwa came in,” said the diplomat from her missio0n residence by phone last night. “They’re in desperate need to secure oil for future energy security, and the 2009 deal now formalised, gives them oil and gas exploration rights covering millions of acres of land on the Zambezi Valley, amid strong belief that this country holds huge oil and natural gas deposits according to feasibility studies conducted by a five-member team of Chinese oil experts that has been resident in Zimbabwe since 2008.”
Oil exploration and production has now become one of the key areas of Beijing’s foreign investments in Zimbabwe and Africa. The Asian economic powerhouse has also increased…
Continued
… The Asian economic powerhouse has also increased her diplomatic and economic engagement in Southern Africa, especially with South Africa and Angola.
Despite not importing oil products from South Africa, China has set out to benefit and acquire South Africa’s technology in the energy sector, particularly the advanced refining and gasification infrastructure of Sasol, a South African based International firm.
The Chinese Embassy could not provide comment, as acting Chinese Ambassador to Zimbabwe, Zhao Baogang, was said to be out of office for the day yesterday late afternoon.
China is now Zimbabwe’s second largest trading partner after South Africa and leading arms supplier, benefiting immensely from Harare’s blind mortgaging of natural resources in exchange
for arms…
Continued
… China is now Zimbabwe’s second largest trading partner after South Africa and leading arms supplier, benefiting immensely from Harare’s blind mortgaging of natural resources in exchange
for arms and other military technology. The government has already granted China mineral concessions for gold, platinum, lithium, aluminum and zinc to mention but a few.
Any fooool can work this one out ..Zambia owes China more than $4billion and the only asset Zambia has is Zesco, what do you think Lazy Lungu and his whole cabinet were doing in China for 10 days…you dont need fake news to work it out!!
Jay Jay Jay Jay, u must be from mars! No wonder UPND has been losing because of pipo like Jay Jay and spaka. It’s a shame to Zambia. Why can’t u guys just shift or migrate to USA since u have so much hate for your own country?
@spaka. My point is do rely on external powers to change govt.
Pf is a failed project like zanupf but opposition has no strategy.
How do write a protest letter on university headed paper to people that dont vote in Zambia
That was an individual expressing his individual thoughts…nothing to do with the official opposition…
Upendi is beneficiary of the propaganda.
Trump must go. His confusion is now in Zambia imported upendi
China the predator, ruthlessly exploitong poor Africa’s, they decide who should continue ruling.
China is now Zimbabwe’s second largest trading partner after South Africa and leading arms supplier, benefiting immensely from Harare’s blind mortgaging of natural resources in exchange for arms and other military technology. The government has already granted China mineral concessions for gold, platinum, lithium, aluminum and zinc to mention but a few.
Over the last two months, the once extensive Meridien BIAO’s banking empire has been collapsing like a gigantic house of cards. When it was initially set up, this was to be the dream commercial bank network for the continent, “out of Africa and for Africa.” The dream now seems to be lying in ruins. Joel Kibazo, (right) staff writer with the UK-based Financial Times has been closely monitoring the collapse of the African banking giant. This is his exclusive report for African Business. This was reported by foreign a country while we were sleeping in Zambia calling it fake news. Where is meridian Bank?
That is where that soiled BR BAMBA JR came from, No wounder he rolls in his own sh.it and expects others to roll with him….
Trump must go.
For those who don’t know John Bolton, the guy doesn’t even know there’s a country called Zambia. He probably blurted those words while drinking with a disgruntled Zambian. I’m sure he doesn’t even remember the guy that made him say such. Remember he’s part of the group that told the world that Iraq under Sadam Hussein had Weapons of Mass Destruction. …this lead to the infamous raid on Iraq and only to find that the biggest weapon Sadam was couldn’t even go beyond 10kilometres.
Ndanji
The USA neocons knew exactly what they were saying and were only after Iraq oil and more importantly hoped after Saddam the road to peace in jerousalem would pass through Bagdad…..only they did not figure into their plans the mehdi army and the quds force…
A confidential letter to the company last December said that the Bank of England had found “prima facie evidence of illegal deposit-taking in the UK” by MIBL. Mr Sardanis denied the findings saying, “we categorically deny that we were involved in any form of banking business in the UK. Our presence in the UK was to service our network in the form of letters of credit and liaison with our customers.” The Bank of England nevertheless suggested MIBL, Meridien International Credit Corporation, and other related entities should be removed from the UK. Meridien said it was considering such a move and this January announced it was moving its administrative offices from London to Lusaka.Why did they move from London to Lusaka? Because it was easier to plunder here thank in London where they…
A whole Government admitting that they regurgitated here-say and fake news in their official communique. Shameful. Trump hates fake News. Shows you how ill equipped Bolton is for his job if he can’t even get his facts right and relies on here-say and innuendo. Also shows how little importance they pay to their Diplomatic Mission officials in Zambia. By no consulting them on an issue that they are best placed to opine on they have declared them irrelevant to comment on the parameters of their mission. I doubt if Bolton has even ever been to Africa. His knowledge is restricted to what he reads in fake tabloids.
The white house is full of danderheads just those danderhead politicians we have in our opposition parties. It’s laughable our gallant men in the opposition have lost not o my there minds but but even the sense of being Zambian. It’s shame.
The little freedom we enjoy are curteousy of the west who most offer insist some form of human rights are practiced by countries wanting their support.
If China had their way , we all in Africa would be living under murderous brutal corrupt dictators propted up and financed and armed by China for acsses to our mineral wealth.
Their no questions asked policy in financing is fueling corruption and the West, being the largest donner aid contributer to Africa has the right to question such policies.
Debt accumulation has made China the ‘anointed’. Now we citizens and any one who sympathizes with us are being criticized for criticizing the ‘anointed’.
Alaaa America stupidoooh , After refusing to help us develop our rich and great nation of Zambia. China took a step and started helping us in terms of infrastructure development to this day we can point at what the Chinese government have done schools,roads,hospitals,stadiums etc And America’s infrastructure development in Zambia! ZERO. Are you not the same *****s who left us to die of hunger and starvation when your ka Anglo America pulled out of Zambia, it is well documented of how you have been stealing minerals in Congo DRC. Therefore American are not people to be trusted or depend on they are heartless and selfish, Big time thieves, just look at Libya!
Americans are not to be trusted ?? Why oh let’s look at what they have done to Saudi Arabia, Barhaine , Oman , Japan , isreal to mention afew under USA tutlage , have the yanks destoyed those countries ?
until you are on ARV, thats when you will know how important USA is to Zambia
Well,, if you are going to call the US ambassador’s speech an apology, then you are a true Cadre or your IQ is just low,, cause he just pretended to cralify one point then elaborated more on what Ramsey Bolton was talking about,, you can give a loan to a country which is more than half of their GDP,, the question is how do you expect them to pay back? Whilst the Western lenders would consider all the accounting ethics the Chinese give beyond then put the Tax payers under pressure,, cause the loans are not paid by Ministers, those chaps are unproductive,, the President should even consider downsizing the number of Ministries as an austerity measure,,
“Meanwhile, US Ambassador Daniel Lewis Foote clarified in Lusaka that USA National Security Advisor, John Bolton referred to widespread international reports on Zambia regarding Chinese loans and state assets.”
Don’t be a twi.t Ambassador Foote. How can the whole US government quote rumours, fake news, speculation, or innuendos in its official and very high level communication with the worlds? Are you not the guys with CIA, FBI etc etc?
And these trib.als Jay Gay and company, all they think of is trib.al, maybe the Americans are trib.al too going by their wro.ng and warped reasoning. The only country where an idoit came to power through the ballot and they are stuck with it for four years!! Its only in Zambia where a similar idoit is found masquerading as a leader. But At least…
Zambia must be the only country to vote for a convicted fraudster..
….. But At least Zambians are smart and never elected and will never elect Trib.al Hacks!!
It is understood why America and the West are keenly following China’s role in Africa because they are loosing grip of the African continent which supplies them with cheap natural resources for their opulent life style. However, it will be a grave mistake to rub.bish whatever they are pointing out about China. This so called freedom we enjoy in Africa is because of the insistence of human rights which the west demand on African govts before aid is given. In China there are no human rights to talk about. Very soon there will be wars all over Africa because citizens will take up arms to fight authoritarian govts popped up by China in order to exploit Africa’s natural resources without hindrance. Remember that the west at least pretend to care for us but China does not care what happens…
U.S. National Security Advisor John Bolton, his right to point out the predatory practices pursued by China and Russia. If you didn’t know it now you know it.
When the EU cut off Zambia due to the social cash transfer scandal, the GRZ denied vehemently that it was true. Not until the Ambassador twitted to confirm the fact, did the GRZ confess. Forgive us for doubting the integrity of the GRZ during this administration.