By CHIMANGENI BANDA –
THE existence and relevance of Zambia having foreign missions abroad has long remained an inexhaustible topic with varying justifications on either side of the debate of their worth.
While some people advocate for the maintenance of mere friendship ties, others argue that it is a drain on State coffers.
The dawn of President Edgar Lungu’s administration in 2015 saw the pursuit of economic diplomacy and the raising of Zambia’s waned international profile.
The realignment of the country’s diplomatic dispensation was as a result of a resolve to shift from the mere traditional political ally relationship to the new era of the pursuit of economic benefits from countries where Zambia is represented.
Succinctly put, what benefits does and will Zambia derive from having a mission abroad than mere representation in a host country?
While some missions may be basking in the glory of overseas opulence and the ease of political diplomacy punctuated by hellos and catch up, the Zambian embassy in Beijing, China, has led the way in pioneering the attainment of benefits of economic diplomacy through the Sichuan Development Framework.
A first of its kind initiative, the Zambia Week drew the highest of political will to render support and ensure that the exposition succeeds to give credence to the country’s diplomatic policy realignment.
On July 26, 2017, Vice President Inonge Wina arrived in China to officiate at the Zambia Week that drew multi-billion dollar Chinese firms seeking to invest in one of Africa’s fastest growing economies.
Chengdu, a city straddling tradition and modernity with 16 million people, is the provincial capital of Sichuan Province, the gateway to south-western China.
The province, which is half the size of Zambia, has 91 million people and a Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of more than US$500 billion, which is twenty times more than that of Zambia.
Sichuan is principally China’s technological innovation hub and globally famous for the Panda and cultural tourism.
Dujiangyan, not far from Chengdu, is the village of longevity, a habitat for the Panda and home to a 2,260 year old water conservancy method christened as a world heritage site.
The Zambia Tourism Agency (ZTA) Chief Executive Officer Felix Chaila was mesmerized by the high levels of domestic tourism and wants Zambia to vigorously get a share of the 100 million Chinese nationals touring various destinations across the world.
As a launch pad, the Zambian embassy in China held an exposition dubbed the Zambia Week from July 26, 2017 to July 30, in Chengdu, to market Zambia’s investment and tourism potential to Chinese businesses.
Zambia’s Ambassador Plenipotentiary to China, Winnie Chibesakunda shared that the hosting of the Zambia Week was the embassy’s initiative to contribute to the country’s national development by facilitating investments back home.
“Zambia Week in Sichuan is a platform or vehicle for the promotion of trade and investment cooperation, tourism, culture and arts exchanges and general people-to-people exchange between Zambia and Sichuan Province,” said Ambassador Chibesakunda.
The Zambia Week was apparently mooted to be a bridge for Chinese investments into Zambia and a conduit for spurring development in the country by maximising capacities of provinces.
The idea of the embassy is twinning provinces and cities with their comparative advantages.
Eastern Province, which is an agricultural hub, is being positioned to be twinned with Shandong Province, which has a flourishing textile industry.
The cotton grown in Eastern Province is expected to provide the raw materials that will be needed by the textile industries that will set up a plant and support farmer out grower schemes, creating over 2,000 direct jobs.
However, Lusaka Province has been positioned for the development of tourism, service industry and technological innovation.
Mianyang City, in Sichuan Province is China’s only science and technological city and its twinning with Chongwe District is expected to boost the transfer of technology to Zambia.
The Vice President’s train ride from Chengdu to Mianyang at speeds of around 200 km per hour convinced her of the need for Zambia to introduce high speed trains to decongest Zambian roads.
Addressing the Zambia Sichuan Trade and Economic Forum, Mrs Wina canvassed for business partnerships between Chinese businesses and Zambian enterprises.
She is of the view that such partnerships will position the private sector to realise its role of being the engine of economic development.
The twinning of Chongwe Municipal Council to Mianyang City left a deep impression on the Vice President as she watched Chongwe Mayor Geoffrey Chuumbwe sign the accord in Mianyang.
She said the development will transform the rural council into Zambia’s hi-tech hub and improve people’s lives.
Lusaka Province Minister Japhen Mwakalombe is ecstatic about the establishment of industries in his region.
The Zambia Week also availed the Vice President an opportunity to tour leading electric and electronic manufacturing firms such as Changhong Network Technologies Company and Dongfang Electric Corporation.
Dongfang Electric Corporation was established in 1958 in Chengdu.
The company is China’s, and one of the world’s leading power generation equipment manufacturing firms specialising in hydro, thermal, nuclear, and solar power projects, among others.
Dongfang is the company that has supplied the two 150 megawatts (MW) power generation equipment at the coal powered thermal plant in Maamba in Zambia.
Mrs Wina courted Dongfang to help develop Zambia’s nuclear potential as an alternative source of energy in order to mitigate the country’s power deficiency.
According to her, Dongfang can help increase Zambia’s power generation in order to boost economic activities and expand mining operations.
China’s rapid development and transformation has largely been attributed to sustained scientific and technological innovations and capacities that Zambia wants to tap into and replicate.
The twinning programme is part of the Economic Trade Consensus (ETC) between Zambia’s President Edgar Lungu and Chinese President Xi Jinping.
The consensus further seeks to promote local government cooperation between provinces and cities in China and Zambia as espoused under the US$60 billion Forum on China Africa Cooperation (FOCAC).
The Vice President commended Ambassador Chibesakunda and her staff for the pioneering initiative and challenged other missions abroad to emulate the embassy in China.
“We will take stock of what is happening in other countries to see how Zambia is benefiting economically from the countries our country is represented,” she said.
She noted that Zambia is spending a lot of money in maintaining missions abroad but wondered what the missions are doing top benefit the country.
While trade and matters of the economy stole the limelight, Mrs Wina also graced the 2017 Chengdu International Music Festival where she urged the world’s youth to harness peace using their talents in music.
The Zambian cultural dance group was awarded recognition for showcasing Zambian culture through scintillating performances.
As she concluded her trip in China, the Vice President described the Chinese experience as the most successful mission ever undertaken and paid glowing tribute to China’s resilience of continued support to Zambia’s socio-economic development.
In Mrs Wina’s words, Zambia is set for accelerated development and industrialisation as a result of the Sichuan development model; born out of the Zambian Week that is worth replicating in all Zambian missions abroad. – ZANIS.