The Chinese government has announced a new grant to Namibia aimed at funding jointly agreed development projects, with the announcement made by Ambassador of the People’s Republic of China to Namibia, Zhao Weiping, during the official handover ceremony of the Satellite Ground Data Receiving Station.
Ambassador Zhao said China and Namibia have remained close development partners since establishing diplomatic relations more than 30 years ago, adding that China remains committed to supporting Namibia’s socio-economic development goals under the current administration.
“I wish to use this opportunity to assure our Namibian friends that the Chinese side is ready to implement more development assistance projects this year. We have recently informed our Namibian friends that the Chinese government has decided to provide new grants to Namibia, which will be used for jointly agreed projects,” he said.
Zhao said cooperation between the two countries has already resulted in the construction of nine schools, including the Namibia National Youth Training Centre, as well as key infrastructure projects such as the development of the new airport road.
To support technological skills development, China has also made annual provision for 200 Namibians to receive training in science and technology disciplines, aimed at strengthening local expertise.
In addition, a satellite data receiving system has been donated to enhance Namibia’s remote sensing capabilities.
China’s partnership with Namibia is further strengthened through the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC), which serves as a platform for broader continental collaboration. Under a Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) programme, eight Chinese agricultural specialists have also been deployed to Namibia to support farmer training and provide technical guidance to the Ministry of Agriculture.
This article was first published here in partnership with The Brief