Staff Reporter
THE China International Development Cooperation Agency, during a courtesy call to President Dr. Hage Geingob, has announced that China will provide 10 million yuan (N$25.9 million) worth of food aid to Namibia.
This donation, according to the vice-chairperson of the China International Development Cooperation Agency, Tang Wenhong, is a result of the food aid measures announced by Chinese President Xi Jinping at the China-Africa leaders’ dialogue.
Wenhong said that the donation was made to relieve Namibia’s pressures in terms of food supply.
The donation by the People’s Republic of China comes at a time when the Namibian Prime Minister, Saara Kuugongelwa-Amadhila, announced that the government will spend N$892.4 million on a food relief program, agricultural support, and water provision to ensure that no Namibian dies in the impending drought, with people expected to experience food insecurity in Namibia standing at 695,000 people (26% of the population).
“The purpose of the delegation from the International Development and Cooperation Agency to Namibia is to implement the important consensus you and President Xi Jinping reached in your prior meeting and enable the China-Namibia cooperation to provide better benefits to the two peoples,” Wenhong said while addressing the Namibian president.
He added that China attaches great importance to the China-Namibia friendship and appreciates the robust and solid support from Namibia on major international issues.
“China is ready to understand and support each other with the Namibian government, under the leadership of His Excellency Dr. Hage Geingob, with issues that concern each other’s interests and major concerns, to make the bilateral relations and strategic partnerships deeper with more tangible results,” Wenhong said.
He added that under the strategic guidance of Geingob, the two sides’ development cooperation has deepened in infrastructure, social welfare, health, culture, and education, bringing great benefits to the two countries’ peoples.
“Both China and Namibia belong to the southern countries, and our cooperation is in the global south cooperation sphere. China has helped Namibia in projects such as borehole drilling, house building, hospitals, schools, agriculture, electricity, and road construction, and provided Namibia with a number of aiding materials and is supporting the social and economic development provided here. Your Excellency, to implement the food aid measures President Xi Jinping announced at the China-Africa leaders’ dialogue, we have decided to provide 10 million Chinese yuan worth of food aid to Namibia to relieve your pressure in terms of food supply. Yesterday afternoon, I had a meeting with the Deputy Prime Minister and Netumbo Nande-Ndaitwah, the Minister of International Relations, and we had an in-depth discussion,” Wenhong said.
He added that he will attend further meetings with the National Planning Commission and other line ministries to have a detailed discussion on how to implement the decisions reached by the Namibian and Chinese presidents at the China-Africa leadership dialogue.
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