PRESIDENT Hakainde Hichilema has invited Chinese businesses to invest in the various sectors of Zambia’s economy and exploit the country’s strategic location and rich resource endowment.
The President also urged Chinese airlines to consider launching direct flights to Zambia to facilitate regular business contacts.
Mr Hichilema said Zambia provided a conducive environment for business and was endowed with natural resources which included critical minerals like manganese, cobalt, and nickel.
He said in a Facebook post after participating in the Zambia China Investment and Tourism Promotion Conference at Jinggangshan Convention Centre, that Chinese businesses could benefit from Zambia’s strategic land-linked and central position to market their products within the region and beyond.
President Hichilema said the forum, facilitated by the Zambia Development Agency (ZDA), showcased Zambia’s huge business potential, opportunities, and resource endowment.
“The economic modernization model employed by the People’s Republic of China holds great relevance for Zambia as both nations come from the background of under development,” he said.
He said Zambia needed to leverage on China’s capital and robust technology to grow the economy and create employment for its citizens.
The President is in China on a six-day State visit at the invitation of that country’s President Xi Jinping which ends on September 16.
Since Monday, President Hichilema and his delegation have held various meetings.
On Tuesday, he signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with China’s ZTE Corporation to set up a smart phone assembly plant in Zambia.
He also visited the Jinggangshan Revolution Museum and the former home of China’s founding father, Chairman Mao Zedong.
During the visit, he is also expected to hold bilateral talks with President Xi on various issues of mutual interest.
