The Coordinators' Meeting on the Implementation of the Follow-up Actions of the Beijing Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) is held in Beijing, (Photo: CGTN)
As a follow-up action from the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC), the just-concluded coordinators' meetings in Beijing witnessed high-level delegations from 53 FOCAC members discussing tangible collaboration plans.
CGTN reporter sat down with Namibia's Deputy Foreign Minister Christine Hoebes in Beijing to discuss tangible cooperation between China and the southern African nation.
As Hoebes recalled, the cooperation between China and Namibia started before the FOCAC, which was way back during Namibia's fight for its independence. In 1990, China and Namibia established their diplomatic ties.
"FOCAC acts as a pace-setter towards the development trajectory," said Christine Hoebes, deputy minister of international relations and cooperation in Namibia.
Talking about the recent collaboration on infrastructure connectivity between China and Namibia, Hoebes said China will help construct four rural schools and satellite data receiving station among other projects.
The Coordinators' Meeting on the Implementation of the Follow-up Actions of the Beijing Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) is held in Beijing, China, June 25, 2019. /CGTN Photo
Chinese President Xi Jinping raised the "five-no" approach in establishing relations with Africa during the FOCAC's Bejing Summit in September 2018. Namely, the "five-no" approach includes no interference in African countries' pursuit of development paths that fit their national conditions, no interference in African countries' internal affairs, no imposition of our will on African countries, no attachment of political strings to assistance to Africa, and no seeking of selfish political gains in investment and financing.
Hoebes said the "five-no" approach, especially non-interference, is in line with the constitution of Namibia. Because of the previous interferences of other nations, we have moved several steps backwards on poverty and the education of young people.
"But now we are seeing Namibia is moving towards the development path. We stand firm behind the Chinese president's no-interefence approach. It will be good if every other country could follow suit. So that, we could determine our own destiny," added Hoebes.