11 Feb 2015

Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Dr Pelonomi Venson-Moitoi has called for introspection on the bilateral cooperation between Botswana and China to see how best they can move ahead in the journey of strategic partnership.

She said 40 years signified a period of maturity hence the expression ‘life begins at 40’ and said this was an opportune time to reflect on the successes and challenges so that the two countries could chart a path to long lasting beneficial relations.

Speaking at the occasion of the 40^th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Botswana and China in Gaborone on February 10, Dr Venson-Moitoi said Botswana admired the great strides china had made in recent decades.

She said just over a few decades, China had transformed millions of its people from hunger and poverty and this had been a great watershed in human development and indeed one of the most remarkable economic transformations in human history.

She said the latest statistics showed that Botswana’s export to China grew from US$2.86 million in 2004 to US$65 million  in 2009, adding that said these figures clearly showed that there was still room for growth in this area and said the dream is to celebrate the 50^th anniversary of the two countries diplomatic ties with a solid collaboration extended to new areas and growing volumes of trade and investment.

The minister encouraged the nationals of the two countries especially entrepreneurs to build on the solid foundation created by the two governments to work towards solidifying these relations for generations to come and assured the Chinese government that Botswana will do all in its power to take the bilateral cooperation to greater heights.

For his part, the Chinese Ambassador to Botswana, Mr Zheng Zhuqiang said it was in January 6, 1975 when the two countries formally established diplomatic relationship, which unveiled a new chapter for friendship and cooperation between the two.

He said over the past 40 years, China-Botswana relations have been developing soundly and steadily on the basis of their traditional friendship, and the two countries’ peoples have benefited from the expanding cooperation in various fields.

Mr Zheng said close political exchanges and cooperation have laid a solid foundation for the bilateral relations and both governments’ leaders attach great importance to China-Botswana relations and over the years the two countries have regularly sent high-level delegations to visit each other.

He said the fast-growing economic and trade cooperation has served as the driving force in boosting bilateral ties and said the total trade volume between the two countries has jumped from less than US$ million in early 1980s to US$343 million in 2013, which is almost 700 times increase.

He said China has become the second largest consumer of Botswana’s diamonds; consuming 15 per cent of the total diamond output and said his country’s demand for Botswana’s diamonds is also growing by more than 10 per cent every year. ENDS