Move could accelerate industrialization, create new opportunities, says minister

Selma Ashipala-Musavyi, Namibia's minister of international relations and trade, said China's decision to extend zero-tariff treatment to 53 African countries that have diplomatic ties with Beijing could accelerate industrialization and create new opportunities for value-added production, both in Namibia and throughout the continent.

The policy, which is due to take effect on May 1, makes China the first major economy to grant full zero-tariff coverage to all of its African diplomatic partners. China has also said it will further expand market access for African exports through measures including upgraded "green channels".

Ashipala-Musavyi, who wrapped up her visit to China on Saturday, described the policy as "a direct product" of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation, saying that the move would also strengthen confidence between African countries and China, including between their private sectors.

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For Namibia, the benefits could extend across agriculture, mining, fisheries and services, she said.

She noted that Namibia already exports beef and marine products to China, but now wants to broaden that trade by processing more of what it produces and moving further up the value chain.

More fundamentally, she described China's policy as part of a broader effort to help African economies climb the value chain. "We do not want to remain a source of raw materials," she said. "We want to add value to our products, whether mineral or agricultural, so that we can become more relevant to the Chinese economy and to the global economy."

She added that Namibia is seeking to add value to minerals such as diamonds, copper and lithium, while expanding access for more of its agricultural and marine products to the Chinese market.

Ashipala-Musavyi also linked the zero-tariff move to wider regional trade opportunities. As a coastal state with the deep-water ports of Walvis Bay and Luderitz, Namibia serves as a logistics hub for several neighbors, including landlocked countries that rely on its port infrastructure, she said.

More cargo moving through those ports would generate benefits not only for Namibia, but also for neighboring economies and for China, making the gains "multidimensional", she added.

She cast those opportunities as being part of a broader, long-standing partnership with China. The two countries enjoy a profound traditional friendship and close high-level exchanges. China has remained Namibia's largest source of foreign direct investment and one of its top trading partners.

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Looking ahead, she noted China's growing interest in Namibia's renewable energy potential, citing Namibia's abundant solar and wind energy resources.

In addition to the Chinese capital, the eight-day trip took the Namibian minister to Shenzhen, which she called China's Silicon Valley. She said she was struck by the country's digital advances and saw scope for deeper cooperation in both capacity-building and emerging industries.

On multilateral affairs, Ashipala-Musavyi said Namibia and China work closely and often hold similar positions on major issues. Both countries favor the peaceful settlement of disputes, support multilateralism and believe that the international order should serve the interests of all countries, she added.

Contact the writers at zhaojia@chinadaily.com.cn