Renthia Kaimbi
China is preparing to send an expert team to Namibia next month to inspect local grape production areas as part of efforts to facilitate the export of fresh Namibian table grapes to the Chinese market, following the elevation of diplomatic relations between the two countries.
Chinese Ambassador to Namibia Zhao Weiping announced the planned inspection on Tuesday during a press briefing at the Chinese Embassy, saying both countries were actively implementing agreements reached during President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah’s state visit to China in July.
“This is a landmark year for the development of China-Namibia relations,” Zhao said, referring to the visit during which Nandi-Ndaitwah and Chinese President Xi Jinping agreed to elevate bilateral relations to a China-Namibia community with a shared future for the new era.
The ambassador said the two countries had reached extensive consensus on advancing cooperation across various sectors, with economic and trade cooperation among the key priorities.
The planned inspection of Namibia’s grape-producing areas is intended to establish the necessary conditions for the early export of fresh table grapes to China.
Zhao said Chinese delegations from Guangdong and Sichuan provinces had also visited Namibia in September and October respectively, holding discussions with their Namibian counterparts on strengthening economic and trade relations, expanding agricultural cooperation and exploring other areas of collaboration.
He added that several Chinese companies were advancing investment projects in Namibia.
On development cooperation, Zhao said the two governments were expected to sign an implementation agreement for a police housing project soon.
The two sides had already signed an exchange of letters on the Smart City Pilot Project, while a Chinese technical team had completed an on-site inspection for a feasibility study into a borehole drilling project.
China is also expected to send another expert team to Namibia this month to conduct a feasibility study for Phase II of the Satellite Ground Data Receiving Station and Processing System.
The ambassador said discussions on additional development assistance projects were ongoing.
China has provided 442 Namibians with opportunities to study or participate in training programmes since the beginning of this year, according to Zhao.
Of these, 97 Namibians received Chinese government scholarships to pursue master’s degrees in China, representing a 27.6% increase compared with last year.
A further 111 Namibians participated in bilateral training programmes, while 234 attended multilateral training programmes in China.
Zhao said cooperation had also expanded into sports following the signing of a four-year memorandum of understanding between the Chinese Olympic Committee and the Namibia National Olympic Committee in Dhaka, Bangladesh, last week.
The agreement establishes a framework for cooperation in athlete development, high-performance sports, sports science and sports medicine, among other areas.
The ambassador also outlined new policies announced by Xi to strengthen China-Africa relations, including a zero-tariff policy covering 100% of tariff lines for all 53 African countries with which China maintains diplomatic relations.
The policy took effect on 1 May 2026 and is intended to improve African countries’ access to the Chinese market.
Zhao urged Namibia to take advantage of the arrangement to increase its exports.
“We hope Namibia will make full use of the zero-tariff access, the upgraded fast track for Namibian exports to reach China, and other favourable policies, so that more high-quality Namibian products will come in at a faster pace,” he said.
The policy forms part of a broader effort to deepen economic relations between China and African countries as the two sides mark 70 years of diplomatic relations.
Jinping has also outlined principles for cooperation in Africa’s mining sector, a particularly significant area for Namibia given the importance of mining to its economy and the country’s mineral potential.
During his meeting with Nandi-Ndaitwah in July, Jinping identified three principles for strengthening mining cooperation, including mutual benefit and win-win cooperation, friendly consultation and breaking new ground.
He said both sides should leverage their complementary strengths, deepen shared interests and resolve challenges through communication and consultation.
Xi also called for exploring new approaches to cooperation based on market-oriented and commercial principles to improve the quality of mining partnerships.
The Chinese government also encouraged its companies to improve operational capacity, transfer green technologies suited to African conditions and promote cooperation in mining development.
On value addition, Jinping called for moving beyond the extraction of raw materials towards industrial development, while exploring affordable and sustainable financing models.
He further cautioned against using Africa’s natural resources as instruments of geopolitical competition, saying China welcomed genuine support from other countries for Africa’s development.
