On Friday (April 17), Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi held talks in Beijing with Namibian Foreign Minister Musavyi, emphasizing that China has always been a trustworthy partner for Africa at any historical stage, and that Chinese diplomacy stands firmly on the side of developing countries and African nations.
At Wang Yi's invitation, Namibia's Minister of International Relations and Cooperation, Selma Ashipala-Musavyi, is on an official eight-day visit to China from April 11 to 18. According to China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs website, the two foreign ministers held deep and friendly discussions on China-Namibia relations and international and regional issues of common concern, reaching important consensus.
During Friday's meeting, Wang Yi stated that the traditional friendship between the two parties and countries of China and Namibia is deep and has stood the test of international changes. Both sides have fought side by side for independence and freedom, and have worked together for development and prosperity. In the face of changes unseen in a century, it is even more necessary to strengthen unity and cooperation to defend international fairness and justice.
Wang Yi pointed out that developing and deepening China-Namibia cooperation meets the expectations of the two peoples, corresponds to the development trend of China-Africa relations, and is also a manifestation of joint self-strengthening among the Global South. China is willing to work with Namibia to implement the important consensus reached by the two heads of state, promote the traditional friendship, strengthen high-level exchanges, consolidate political mutual trust, expand mutually beneficial cooperation, and continuously enrich the connotations of the comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership between China and Namibia.
Wang Yi also noted that Beijing appreciates Namibia's adherence to the "One China" principle, firmly supports Namibia in independently pursuing a development path suitable to its own national conditions, and is willing to strengthen the alignment of development strategies with Namibia, make good use of the benefits of China's zero-tariff policy, advance key projects in agriculture, people's livelihood, and youth, and maintain the overall situation of friendly cooperation between the two countries.
Regarding China-Africa relations, Wang Yi believes that China is a trustworthy partner for Africa at any historical stage, and that Chinese diplomacy stands firmly on the side of developing countries and African brothers and sisters.
Wang Yi stated that China is willing to strengthen mutual trust and support with Africa, achieve joint development and prosperity, work hand in hand to realize modernization, continuously strengthen the collective strength of the Global South, promote the global governance system in a more just and reasonable direction, and make greater contributions to maintaining world peace, development, international fairness, and justice.
According to the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Musavyi said that Namibia and China are traditional partners and sincere friends, and the comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership between the two countries is based on mutual support and win-win cooperation.
She stated that Namibia highly appreciates China's important contribution to providing stability in a turbulent world, supports the four major global initiatives proposed by President Xi Jinping (the Global Development Initiative, the Global Security Initiative, the Global Civilization Initiative, and the Global Governance Initiative), and is willing to strengthen multilateral cooperation with China and jointly defend the purposes and principles of the UN Charter and legitmate rights and interests of developing countries.
Musavyi pointed out that no matter how the international situation changes, Namibia will unswervingly adhere to the "One China" principle, unswervingly develop friendly cooperation with China, and looks forward to closer high-level exchanges with Beijing, expanding cooperation and exchanges in various fields, and pushing bilateral relations to a new and higher level.
According to the joint communiqué issued by the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs on the talks between the two foreign ministers, Namibia further reiterated that there is only one China in the world, Taiwan is an inalienable part of China's territory, the government of the People's Republic of China is the only legitimate government representing all of China, Namibia opposes any form of "Taiwan independence", and supports all efforts by the Chinese government to achieve national reunification.
Namibia also emphasized that cooperation with China is of great significance for increasing the added value of key mineral resources, including uranium. It will strive to extend the value chain by promoting processing, transformation, and downstream cooperation, so as to benefit the local economy, enhance industrialization and local processing capacity, create jobs, promote Namibia's further integration into the global value chain, especially in green hydrogen, oil and gas, mining, and tourism.