04 Sep 2018

President Mokgweetsi Masisi says the Botswana Democratic Party (BDP) cherishes its long standing ties with the Communist Party of China (CPC) and wants to learn from China’s success story.

He said this Saturday during a courtesy call he paid on the Minister of International Department and CPC central committee member Mr Song Tao, together with members of the BDP central committee.

He said BDP and CPC were both committed to respecting the sovereignty of each nation as they reciprocally respected others.

President Masisi said the two parties were also committed to the golden rule of respecting the need and right for every people to determine their own course of development.

BDP supports China’s principled stand of non-interference in the internal affairs of sovereign states, he said adding that this was reiterated in his meeting with President Xi Jingping. He noted China’s growing support to

Botswana’s economic development, saying the country  was grateful for her bilateral cooperation with China under  CPC  leadership.

“It was not out of order that BDP supported the liberation struggle of Southern Africa while CPC supported liberation movements that were harassed by the white minority racist regime including Botswana,” he said.He said Batswana under the leadership of BDP could not ignore a country ‘whose rate of economic growth is upright like China as she is the second largest economy in the world.’

Mr Song said it was through these kind of meetings that they exchanged views and notes that could promote solidarity between the two parties.

“China believes in progressive mankind for all and has great aspirations to many developing countries including Botswana,” he said.

President Masisi also paid courtesy call on Chinese Premier Mr Li Keqiang with whom he had a closed door meeting together with the ministers accompanying him on the China trip. Ends