. WINA

From CHIMANGENI BANDA –
VICE-PRESIDENT Inonge Wina has said the twinning of Chongwe Municipal Council to Mianyang City will spur the development of the district and improve people’s lives.
Mrs Wina said the twinning programme would also help propel and consolidate the development of Zambia’s technology industry.
She said Mianyang city’s status as China’s Science and Technology city would bring enormous benefits to the Information Communication Technology  ICT) sector.
The Vice-President said this at the signing ceremony of the cooperative relationship framework between Mianyang City and Chongwe District.
Mayor of Chongwe Geoffrey Chuumbwe and his counterpart for Mianyang City signed the cooperative agreement.
Mianyang City is China’s hub for Science and Technology while Chongwe has comparative advantage in agro business and has been designated for education and technology research and development.
Ms Wina said the twinning programme was part of the Economic Trade Consensus between Chinese President Xi Jinping and President Edgar Lungu.
She said the twinning programme would help realise the vision of the two leaders of promoting local government cooperation between provinces and cities in China and Zambia.
The Vice-President stressed that China remained a strategic and valued partner for socio-economic development dating back to the leadership and partnerships of China’s Chairman Mao Tse Dung and Zambia’s Kenneth Kaunda.
Lusaka Province Minister Japhen Mwakalombe expressed optimism that the twinning programme would augment development in Chongwe.
The minister said the development would open up trade, investment and economic development cooperation opportunities between Chinese and Zambian businesses and local peoples.
Mayor of Mianyang City Liu Chao said his City would work towards deepening mutual trade and economic ties with Chongwe District and Zambia as a whole.
Mr Chao said his City would help develop the economy of Chongwe and Zambia in order to improve peoples lives.
Mr Chao is expected to lead a delegation of Chinese business executives and government officials to assess and explore trade and investment of Chongwe District. -ZANIS