At the 4th China-Africa Economic and Trade Expo in Changsha, CGTN reporter Dai Kaiyi sat down with Selma Ashipala-Musavyi, Namibian Minister of International Relations and Trade. As the two nations mark 35 years of diplomatic ties, the minister shared her vision for the future of China-Namibia cooperation and the broader impact of China-Africa trade ties on upholding multilateralism.
DAI KAIYI CGTN Reporter “What milestone would you like to mark as the next defining moment of China-Namibia relations down the road?”
SELMA ASHIPALA-MUSAVYI Namibian Minister of International Relations and Trade “Yes, our two countries have come a long way. Namibia and China’s relationship goes far before Namibia’s independence. We have put economic content to our relationship. Our trade is growing. China is participating in almost all the sectors in our country. At the bilateral level, we have concluded a number of bilateral agreements that are basically bringing out a win-win outcome between our two countries, especially also including at the multilateral level. We are cooperating with China because we believe that South-South cooperation is mutually beneficial for our two countries.”
DAI KAIYI CGTN Reporter “China has maintained its position as Africa’s largest trading partner for 16 consecutive years. In light of all the uncertainties across the globe we’re facing, what are the positive roles that China-Africa cooperation has played in upholding multilateralism and uniting the global South?”
SELMA ASHIPALA-MUSAVYI Namibian Minister of International Relations and Trade “China is a major player on the global scene, being it in the political, economic, and cultural sphere. We have made milestones in our bilateral cooperation. We thank the Chinese government for the announcement made yesterday that China is going to allow products from Africa to come into the Chinese market, to access the Chinese market with zero tariff. We are in the process of studying the required process because we believe that this will enhance Namibia’s market access to this big market. It’s a welcome development because we live in a world, as you said, full of uncertainties and unpredictabilities, a world that is basically a threat to multilateralism. For Namibia, we believe that when every country has market access, when every country has an opportunity to trade freely, then there will be peace in the world. So we want to commend China for this gesture to the African countries, and I hope that others can follow suit.” (CGTN)
