Vice Chinese President Li Yuanchao Paying an Inspection Visit to CNMC Enterprises in Zambia

25 Jun 2014

On June 21, 2014, Li Yuanchao, member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and vice Chinese president, who was visiting Zambia, inspected the Zambia-China Economic & Trade Cooperation Zone (ZCCZ) Lusaka East MFEZ built on the investment by CNMC and visited the Exhibition of CNMC Achievements of Investment & Development in Zambia. During the visit, he was accompanied by Nasaka Ximuboyakula, internal affairs minister of Zambia, Robert Siqinge, trade and industry minister of Zambia, Saikazongge Saikalaige, permanent secretary of the Trade and Industry Ministry of Zambia, Zhou Yuxiao, Chinese ambassador to Zambia, Qin Yizhi, first secretary of the CYL Central Committee of CPC, Yu Hongjun, vice chief of the International Liaison Department of CPC Central Committee, Li Jinzao, vice minister of commerce of China, and Qian Hongshan, assistant foreign minister of China.

Vice President Li Yuanchao has been paying great attention to the reform and development of CNMC. During his visit to Myanmar in June 2011, he showed cordial solicitude for the Tagaung Taung Nickel Mine Project on the investment of CNMC and fully affirmed and spoke highly of the investment and development of CNMC in Myanmar. During his visit to Zambia, he cordially received Tao Xinghu, vice president of CNMC and CEO of CNMCL, and representatives of CNMC enterprises in Zambia at Chinese Embassy in Zambia on June 19. On June 20, accompanied by Tao Xinghu, Vice Chinese President Li Yuanchao attended the “Exhibition of 50-Year Achievements since the Establishment of the Diplomatic Relations between China and Zambia” held at the National Museum of Zambia.

At 10am Zambia local time on June 21, Vice Chinese President Li Yuanchao and his party inspected ZCCZ Lusaka East MFEZ. On behalf of Luo Tao, president of CNMC, and Zhang Keli, secretary of CPC Committee for CNMC, Tao Xinghu expressed gratitude to Vice President Li for his constant cordial solicitude for the reform and development of CNMC. Vice President Li Yuanchao shook hands with CNMC’s Chinese and Zambian employees present at the meeting and expressed his solicitude for all Chinese and Zambian employees of the company.

With great interest, Vice President Li Yuanchao visited the Exhibition of CNMC Achievements of Investment & Development in Zambia and listened to the report on CNMC’s 16-year investment and development in Zambia given by Tao Xinghu. From time to time, he asked about CNMC operation, development, and contribution to causes of public good in Zambia. When being told that CNMC has become the largest Chinese investor in Zambia, he praised happily: “Well done! CNMC is truly the pacesetter in ‘going out’ among central enterprises.” He pointed out that CNMC has successfully and quickly established a complete industry chain in Africa focusing on developing nonferrous metal resources by relying on the rich mineral resources in Zambia and central and southern Africa. China and Zambia are good friends and they enjoy great cooperation potentials. CNMC should make best of the existing land resources in Lusaka district, study local market demand, “occupy the market, create new market,” and develop “at quicker and bigger paces.” He encouraged CNMC management and employees to firmly remember their missions, continue carrying forward the spirit of hard working, continue deepening mining cooperation between China and Zambia on a reciprocal and win-win basis, build ZCCZ into the window and platform for economic and trade exchange between China and Zambia, and make greater contribution to promoting the “all-weather friendship” between the two countries. Vice President Li Yuanchao also encouraged CNMC “to keep the motherland in mind, love Africa, and achieve win-win cooperation.” He cordially had a group photo taken with the representatives of CNMC enterprises in Zambia and the representatives of the enterprises stationed in ZCCZ. The cordial solicitude and encouragement from the party and state leader warm the hearts of all cadres and employees of CNMC and will become inexhaustible driving force boosting the reform and development of CNMC.

Tao Xinghu said that CNMC would sincerely follow the important instructions by Vice President Li Yuanchao, stick to the idea of “China-Zambia cooperation for joint development,” keep on steadily promoting its investment and development in Zambia, and try to achieve greater development.
Vice President Li Yuanchao also inspected the mushroom production workshop of the Jihai (Zambia) Agriculture Co., Ltd. stationed in ZCCZ Lusaka East MFEZ and the first and only modern multifunctional gas film hall in Zambia built by ZCCZ by importing the internationally advanced building materials and technologies. He fully affirmed the outstanding achievements of ZCCZ in business promotion and engineering construction.

Zambia is one of the key destinations for CNMC overseas investment. At present, CNMC has a total of 2.6 billion USD of assets in Zambia, pays nearly 300 million USD of tax to local government, and employs over 14000 local people. It has built up China’s largest overseas nonferrous metal base in Zambia relying on ZCCZ as a platform. In fact, ZCCZ is China’s first overseas economic and trade cooperation zone in Africa and also Zambia’s first multifunctional economic zone. It consists of two parts: Chambishi MFEZ and Lusaka East MFEZ. Of them, Lusaka East MFEZ is located at Lusaka, capital of Zambia, and borders on the newly-built and commissioned Lusaka International Airport. Lusaka East MFEZ relies on Lusaka City and Lusaka International Airport, faces markets in Zambia and central and southern Africa, and focuses on developing business trade service, modern agriculture, processing and manufacturing, real estate industry, and supporting services. It is oriented as a modern airport industrial park adopting the free trade zone development mode. Now, ZCCZ has completed 150 million USD of investment in infrastructure facilities. Some 28 enterprises, involving an agreed investment of 1.4 billion USD, have entered the zone and fulfilled 1.24 billion USD of investment. ZCCZ has become an outstanding model among China’s 19 overseas cooperation zones by achieving the “best development, quickest progress, and most beautiful environment.”

(By: CNMC)