By Jeremiah Ndjoze

The Chinese government has reiterated its willingness to deepen the friendship between Namibians and the People’s Republic of China through continued developmental assistance and support to the limits of its capabilities – while carrying out more people-oriented projects that will directly benefit the masses.  This revelation was made by Chinese Ambassador to Namibia Zhao Weiping. The ambassador made these remarks recently, as the two countries commemorate 35 years of partnership and bilateral relations.  

Said Weiping: “We will actively promote exchanges between local governments and peoples of the two countries, continuously expand cultural and educational exchanges, and further improve mutual understanding between the peoples of the two nations.” 
We will further continue to encourage Chinese citizens and enterprises operating here to comply with local laws and regulations, respect local culture, live in harmony with local communities, and actively fulfil their social responsibilities.

“I firmly believe that with the joint efforts of the two sides, China-Namibia, will surely usher in an even brighter future, and the practical cooperation between the two countries will yield even more fruitful results,” Weipeng stressed. The ambassador maintained that the bilateral cooperation between the two nations are not solely based on mutual interests, but also on the friendship and brotherhood that the countries share as developing countries.

“China-Namibia cooperation brings tangible benefits to the people of both countries, and also contributes to promoting the solidarity and overall strength of the Global South,” Weiping said, further adding that his country is willing to maintain high-level exchanges and frequent interactions at all levels with the Namibian side. This, he said, will further strengthen communication and consultation, and facilitate the two countries abilities to full tap into the potential for cooperation. 

“At this critical juncture in its socio-economic development, Namibia is fully committed to the implementation of its Sixth National Development Plan (NDP6). To complement this, we will align the Belt and Road Initiative with Namibia's development strategy, and are open to all cooperation proposals from the Namibian side,” he said. “As a real friend to Namibia, we sincerely hope to see the country achieve its socio-economic developmental goals and are ready to lend a helping hand,” he maintained.

ROBUST & EVOLVING
On her part, Namibia’s Minister of International Relations and Trade, Selma Ashipala-Masavyi reminisced that China and Namibia have sustained diplomatic relations since March 1990, with China recognising and supporting Namibia’s struggle for independence, a time during which China stood firmly with the Namibian people. 

“As one of the first countries to recognise the South West Africa People’s Organisation (SWAPO) as the legitimate representative of the Namibian people, China extended vital political, diplomatic, and material support. This principled stance laid a strong foundation for the friendship and mutual respect that continue to define our bilateral relations,” Ashipala-Masavyi said.
She maintained that following Namibia’s attainment of independence, China promptly established diplomatic relations with Namibia on 22 March 1990, in a timely and symbolic gesture that reaffirmed the long-standing ties between the two nations, grounded in shared values of sovereignty, solidarity, and a mutual commitment to sustainable development.

“Since then, Namibia and China have maintained a robust and evolving relationship rooted in the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence, which emphasise mutual respect for sovereignty, non-aggression, non-interference, equality, and mutual benefit. These principles have fostered a strong foundation of mutual trust and understanding that continues to define Namibia-China relations today” Ashipala-Masavyi added.

TRADE VOLUMES
It has further emerged that, after 35 years of development support and bilateral relations, China-Namibia practical cooperation has continuously expanded in scope and deepened in substance, primarily in the areas of economic and trade relations as well as development cooperation.

Weiping revealed that bilateral trade volume between China and Namibia has grown rapidly, last year reaching N$36 billion ($2.08 billion), a remarkable year-on-year growth of 60%.  “From January to May 2025, the bilateral trade reached N$16 billion ($941 million), up 55% from the same period last year. Of this, Namibia's exports to China totalled N$11 billion ($636 million), while China's exports to Namibia valued at N$5 billion ($305 million),” Weiping revealed. “It is worth noting that Namibia's exports of agricultural products to China are expected to grow substantially. 

As the first African country to export beef to China, Namibia will soon sell its mutton and chevon to China as the two governments have signed a protocol on inspection, quarantine and hygiene requirements on that a few months ago,” the Weiping added. 

On her part, Ashipala-Masavyi maintained that when it comes to development finance, the Namibian government is committed to “leveraging blended financing, concessional loans, and technical support from strategic partners such as China to implement infrastructure projects and improve public service delivery, in line with SWAPO’s priority areas of Better Living Standards, Decent Housing, and Land and Sanitation.”