Botswana is 46th member of China’s ambitious Belt & Road Initiative
China- Botswana relations were stepped a notch higher with the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding ( MoU) for cooperation on the Belt and Road Initiative ( BRI) on 7th January in Gaborone.
Visiting Chinese State Councillor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi and Botswana’s minister of international affairs and relations, Lemogang Kwape signed for their respective countries at Gaborone International Convention Centre. Later that morning, the Chinese emissary and his entourage paid a courtesy call on President Dr. Mokgweetsi Masisi at the Cabinet Room in the Ministry of Finance and Economic and Development.
It was here that Masisi paid glowing tribute to the growing Sino- Tswana relations, as promoted by Chinese Ambassador Dr. Zhao Yanbo, who he said was doing a “sterling job” in pushing bilateral relations between the two nations. Masisi emphasised that Batswana held China’s assistance in high esteem. Quoting an Eastern Mythology, the president told minister Wang that in the eyes of Batswana, the Chinese face is one of “delight and optimism”.
Through the signing of the MoU, which, incidentally coincided with the the 46th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Botswana - Botswana becomes 46th African member of the Belt & Road Family. Minister Wang explained that BRI was proposed by Chinese President Xi Jinping in 2013 as a “public good” for the international community, especially developing countries to strengthen inter- connectivity and development capacity. He was adamant that this new framework would encourage more Chinese companies to come and invest in Botswana and play a part in the country’s infrastructural development and continue to foster industrialisation and greater home- grown development capacity in Botswana. Masisi and Wang also discussed opening Chinese market to Botswana’s beef and digital cooperation, which Wang described as “the future”. He added that China would be happy to share her experience and expertise with Botswana as she navigates the Fourth Industrial Revolution ( 4IR). As a response to the COVID- 19 induced economic crisis, Masisi explained that Botswana was rebooting her economy so that it can attract credible foreign direct investment including growing her capacity to produce and industrialise. He hoped that China and its firms, Chinese technology and Chinese intellectual capital and Chinese way, will play a part in this journey. However, the president was quick to point out that China- Botswana relationship must be underpinned by the principle of reciprocity. He promised that Botswana would be a “trustworthy, stable and dependable ally” of China, but that should however not take away “our sovereignty and independence”, adding that our policy is premised on putting Botswana’s interests first and where there is a convergence, as we seek to navigate that, we’ll explore that convergence with Chinese interests.
Minister Wang promised that China treats all countries as “equal regardless of their size”. He said China sees Botswana as an important partner in international affairs. Present at the courtesy call were also Finance and Economic Development Minister Dr. Thapelo Matsheka
In his book, ‘ The Belt & Road Initiative: What will China offer the World in its Rise’, Wang Yiwei, a Professor at the School of International Studies of Renmin University of China- explains that The Belt and Road Initiative started with President Xi Jinping’s speech at Nazarbayev University during a visit to Kazakhstan in September 2013.
Titled ‘ Promoting friendship between our people and working together to build a brighter future’ – Xi pointed out in his speech that to forge closer economic ties, deepen cooperation and expand development in the Eurasian Region, “we must take an innovative approach and jointly build a Silk Road Economic Belt’. “To turn this into reality we should start with work in individual areas first and link them to cover the whole region”.
This was the first proposal of the Silk Road Economic Belt Initiative. In October 2013 when he was attending the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation, ( APEC) informal leaders’ meeting, Xi noted that since ancient times South East Asia had an important hub of the Maritime Silk Road.
China was ready to work with ASEAN countries to enhance maritime cooperation, make effective use of the China- ASEAN Maritime Cooperation Fund established by China, develop partnerships for marine cooperation and jointly build the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road. Thus the Silk Road Economic Belt and the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road ( Belt & Road Initiative) will become a trans- regional cooperation model connecting Asia, Africa and Europe’s policies, trade, facilities, funds and people in the 21st Century. According to the document, ‘ Visions and Actions on jointly building the Silk Road Economic Belt and the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road’ co- released by China’s National Development and Reform Commission, Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Ministry of Commerce on March 28, 2015 – joint construction of the Belt and Road is aimed at promoting orderly and free flow of economic factors, efficient allocation of resources and in- depth integration of markets so as to gives impetus to the coordination of economic policies of counties along the route, carry out more in- depth regional cooperation with greater coverage and higher level and work together to build an economic cooperation framework that is open, inclusive, balanced, and beneficial for all countries involved.
The Silk Road Economic Belt is a new economic development zone to be established on the basis of the concept of the ancient Silk Road. Specifically, the Silk Road Economic Road refers to three routes – the Northern Route with the Eurasian Land bridge as its main part ( Beijing- Russia- GermanyNorthern Europe); the Middle Route with Oil and Gas Pipelines as its main part ( Beijing- Xi’ an- Urumqi- Afghanistan- Kazakhstan- Hungary- Paris) and the Southern Route with transnational highways as its main part ( BeijingSouthern Xinjiang- Pakistan- Iran- IraqTurkey- Italy- Spain). An important task of the Belt and Road Initiative is to smooth the road from China to Europe ( Baltic Sea) covering Central Asia and Russia from China to Persian Gulf and the Mediterranean Sea covering Central Asia and West Asia, and from China to South East Asia, South Asia and the Indian Ocean.