By Derrick Silimina
The Zambia Chinese Association and the Lusaka Chamber of Commerce and Industry have forged a working relationship in a bid to expand their market reach by leveraging each other’s network and customer base.
LCCI President Alexander Lawrence said the fact that Lusaka is centrally located entails that the city has access to millions of people within regions including the SADC, COMESA, the East African Community, and the Continental Free Trade Area.
“We are the third largest grouping, after China and India, which means we’ve got a market which is good for business. We have the resources and we have the people. How do we monetize that? It’s high time we take advantage to help each other develop,” Alexander Lawrence said during a familiarisation meeting held at the ZCA offices in Lusaka.
Lawrence who led a delegation of notable key members of the Lusaka Chamber noted that the Lusaka Chamber, a member of the Zambia Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ZACCI) recently signed a memorandum of understanding with the Kenya Chamber of Commerce, with the Nairobi Chamber of Commerce and have signed agreements with Johannesburg chamber among others in a bid to leverage regional customer based and global networks.
He has since urged the ZCA which is composed of the Chinese business community in Zambia to closely work with the Lusaka Chamber in order to realise both parties commercial objectives.
“Our desire is, let’s get the relationship with China because of our historical background, especially moving from political connections and now to economic linkages.”
Speaking at the same event, ZCA President Zhang Jian expressed delight at the initiative for two business bodies to collaborate and cement a mutual working relationship.
“The Chinese business community is excited to be part of this collaboration and establish a workable relationship with the Lusaka Chamber because as a people, we have a lot in common and moving forward, we will certainly share common values socially and economically,” Zhang stated.
