By XAVIER MANCHISHI and CHUSA SICHONE –

Visiting Chinese Premier Li Yuanchao yesterday took time off his busy schedule to visit a family at David Kaunda Technical High School in Lusaka.
Dr Li spent about 45 minutes at Mr January Mkandawire’s home, a teacher at the same institution.
He was accompanied by Chinese Ambassador to Zambia Zhou Yuxiao and Home Affairs Minister Ngosa Simbyakula, among others. Dr Li’s visit was to find out how January Mkandawire’s family was living.
Dr Li’s questions ranged from who the house Mr Mkandawire occupied belonged to, how much rent he was paying, his salary, number of children, and how he managed to look after the family.
Dr Li also wanted to know if Mr Mkandawire owed any bank or individual money, what he used the money he borrowed for, what accounted for the most of the family’s expenditure and whether Mr Mkandawire or any of his family members had been to China.
Dr Li then presented gifts to Mr Mkandawire, his wife Sandra and their children Beverly, Japhet, Charity and nine-months-old Abigail before proceeding to check on their garden and later posing for a group photo with the family.
Mr Mkandawire, a teacher of technical subjects, described Dr Li’s visit as a “very big honour” which he would treasure, as such gestures happened once in a lifetime.
From the Mkandawire home, Dr Li and his entourage proceeded to the Lusaka National Museum to witness at the inauguration of the Photographic Exhibition on China and Zambia’s 50 years of Cooperation.
Meanwhile, Dr Li Yuanchao has described his visit to Zambia as fruitful.
Dr Li said at a press briefing at the Intercontinental Hotel in Lusaka on Thursday evening that his visit to Lusaka was fruitful going by the number of technical economic agreements that the two countries have signed.
On Wednesday, Dr Li and his counterpart Guy Scott oversaw the signing of eight technical cooperation agreements that will see the far East country give Zambia a 200 RMB (about US$ 32 million) interest-free loan and a grant in the same amount.
Another concessional loan agreement was signed for the upgrade of the Kenneth Kaunda International Airport.
Dr Li said the relationship between Zambia and China had grown from strength to strength adding that investments from his country are expected to more than double in the coming years due to the economic and political stability of Zambia.
Dr Li said China would do its best to help African countries realise development despite the Chinese economy facing a slow pace of growth, adding that China regards Zambia and Africa as a whole, as a partner.
“Though I cannot give a figure on the exact figures of how much Chinese investment into Zambia and Africa will grow in the next five years, I can tell that it will increase to more than double,” he said.
Dr Li also said African countries must understand that China is also a developing country and as such should not always expect too much from the Asian country.