CHINA LOANS HAVE NO `HIDDEN’ AGENDA - MALANJI
GRANTS and loans that Zambia obtains from China have no arm twisting conditions but these relations are of mutual respect and equality, says Foreign Affairs Minister Joseph Malanji. Mr Malanji told Parliament yesterday, that the Ministry of Finance had commenced engaging China on the conditions that would best suit Zambia to get a grant or loan from the $60 billion offering to African countries. The minister said this in response to a follow up question from Kaputa Mr Maxas Ng’onga who asked what conditions were attached to loans and grants China offered to African countries and when the funds could be obtained. This followed a ministerial statement he delivered in the House on President Edgar Lungu’s visit to China where the Head of State attended the 2018 Forum on China-Africa Cooperation ( FOCAC) “There are no arm twisting conditions that come with the obtaining of these loans or grants. I wish to emphasise that Zambia’s relations with China are not that of a horse and rider, but that of mutual respect and equality,” he said. the Chinese President Xi Jinping and that arising from the meeting China inter alia undertook to construct an ultra-modern Convention Centre in Lusaka which would host the African Union summit in 2022. Recently, at the FOCAC summit the Chinese President indicated that there was a $60 billion financing package set aside for African countries. Meanwhile, Government has plans to recruit 2, 000 teachers’ in 2018 and is undertaking consultations which will see to it that the number is increased, says Minister of General Education David Mabumba. Mr Mabumba said this yesterday in response to a question for oral answer from UPND Kabompo MP Ambrose Lufuma who wanted to find out whether Government had any plans to recruit teachers this year. The minister said the recruitment exercise was expected to take off at the month end of November 2018 once the Public Service Management Division (PSMD) gives consent.