(FOCAC) Interview: Zambia expects increased partnership with China, says minister

This photo taken on May 27, 2024 shows the China-aided Levy Mwanawasa University Teaching Hospital in Lusaka, Zambia. (Xinhua/Wang Chunyan)

Zambia wants to leverage China's advancement in various sectors such as energy, tourism and agriculture, as well as get experience that could be utilized to advance the country's development from the FOCAC, said Minister of Tourism Rodney Sikumba.

LUSAKA, Aug. 28 (Xinhua) -- Zambia wants to see increased partnerships between Chinese and local entities from deals that would be reached at the forthcoming Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC), a senior government official said on Tuesday.

Authorities in Zambia were adequately preparing the delegation that will be traveling to China for the FOCAC to ensure that maximum benefits were derived from the summit, said Minister of Tourism Rodney Sikumba.

He said Zambia wants to leverage China's advancement in various sectors such as energy, tourism and agriculture, as well as get experience that could be utilized to advance the country's development from the FOCAC.

"The mechanization of agriculture that we have seen in China is something we want to learn from," he told Xinhua.

Guests attend the groundbreaking ceremony of the Zambia-China Friendship Road in Lusaka, Zambia, May 27, 2024. (Xinhua/Wang Chunyan)

Zambia, he said, was aware that China was one of the leading countries in sustainable production of electricity, which is worth learning from.

Sikumba said Zambia has a lot of potential in the tourism sector and wants China to be a key partner in tourism development.

The minister said the Zambia Development Agency was instructed to ensure that the business delegation traveling to China for the FOCAC can engage meaningfully with their Chinese counterparts.

He said the government expects that Zambian businesses will partner with Chinese enterprises in various projects such as those under the Belt and Road Initiative.

"We are very delighted that our president has confirmed participation and we should be able to see a number of Zambian businesses participating and we expect fruitful outcomes," Sikumba said.

The 2024 Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation will be held in Beijing from Sept. 4 to 6.