Namibia, China elevate ties with new partnership

Namibia and China have agreed to elevate their bilateral relations to a ‘Namibia-China Community with a Shared Future for the New Era’, marking a renewed commitment to deepen political, economic and strategic cooperation.

The agreement was announced in a joint statement on Friday at the conclusion of president Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah’s state visit to China from 5 to 11 July, where she held talks with Chinese president Xi Jinping.

The two countries pledged to strengthen trade, investment and industrial cooperation, with China encouraging more of its companies to invest in Namibia while supporting local value addition, skills transfer and job creation.

Priority sectors include oil and gas, mining, green energy, agriculture, digital technology, artificial intelligence, infrastructure and tourism.

China also reaffirmed its zero-tariff policy for Namibian exports and encouraged Namibia to expand agricultural exports through preferential market access.

“The two governments agreed to deepen cooperation in the beneficiation of Namibia’s critical minerals, including uranium, lithium and rare earth elements, while expanding collaboration in logistics, healthcare, education, technology and human resource development,” reads the statement.

On the political front, Namibia reaffirmed its support for the One-China policy, while both countries committed to closer cooperation in multilateral institutions and on global governance reforms.

China also pledged support for Namibia’s industrialisation drive, the implementation of the sixth National Development Plan and Vision 2030 through technology transfer, technical cooperation and development partnerships.

The visit concluded with Nandi-Ndaitwah inviting Xi to undertake a state visit to Namibia at a mutually convenient time, as both leaders pledged to strengthen the decades-long partnership between the two countries.

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