Former Zambian FM sees new opportunities in enduring China ties

For former Zambian foreign minister Stanley Kasongo Kakubo, the friendship between Zambia and China is reflected in the graves of Chinese workers who died helping to build the Tanzania-Zambia Railway half a century ago.

"I would want to take this opportunity to encourage Chinese people, the young people and the old, to visit those burial sites in Zambia and in Africa," he told China Daily during the 2026 Global Governance Forum (Xiong'an) in Hebei province.

Kakubo, who spent a decade representing a constituency along the railway, recalled that China undertook the project when its own economy was struggling. As the railway marks the 50th anniversary of its handover, its ongoing revitalization is expected to create jobs, improve transport and bring fresh economic opportunities.

"Aside from the friendship of handshakes and the common agenda for peace, there is also the developmental side and joint investments that strengthen friendships," he said.

Another defining moment came in 1971, when Zambia co-sponsored the United Nations resolution that restored the People's Republic of China's lawful seat in the UN.

Fifty-five years later, Kakubo sees that decision as an important foundation of relations between China and African countries, particularly Zambia.

Despite the passage of time, the two countries have remained close friends, he said, with their relationship continuing to deepen through successive generations of cooperation and exchanges.

That enduring friendship, in his view, is also reflected in China's expanding cooperation with Africa.

Kakubo welcomed China's zero-tariff treatment for all 53 African countries with which it maintains diplomatic relations, contrasting rising trade protectionism elsewhere.

He said Zambia had recently begun shipping soybeans to China, although the country's export capacity still fell short of the opportunities offered by the Chinese market.

"We have to do more," he said, urging African nations to increase production and bring more goods and services to China.

He sees artificial intelligence as another area where cooperation could translate into tangible development gains.

"Cooperation for AI should not just be on the photographs," he said. "We need that technology also."

China's rapid technological progress has inspired African countries, but they need greater access to technology and practical support to address their own development challenges, he said.

Stronger AI capabilities could help African countries improve productivity, expand exports and benefit more fully from China's market opening, making cooperation more mutually beneficial.

Beyond trade and technology, Kakubo also sees China playing an increasingly important role in global affairs.

He welcomed the Global Governance Initiative proposed by President Xi Jinping, saying China's longstanding advocacy of fairness for African countries and the Global South remained consistent.

For African nations, he said, it was encouraging that a major country could "stand with us on a fair platform" and pursue cooperation with greater predictability in international relations.

Such certainty is essential to building trust, sustaining friendships and establishing long-term development partnerships, he said.

Kakubo also voiced support for the four principles proposed by Xi in addressing hotspot issues in Africa, including an Africa-led approach, upholding fairness and justice, ceasing hostilities and building peace, and addressing both symptoms and root causes.

He said China could play a greater role in resolving conflicts, not only in Africa but also in other regions, adding that African countries expected China to contribute more to international peace and stability.

On his third visit to China, Kakubo said it was the Chinese people who impressed him most.

"I think what is most impressive is the Chinese people themselves," he said, citing their calmness, work ethic and ability to accomplish things on a large scale.

China's rapid development over recent decades, he said, showed what countries could achieve through hard work, consistency and sustained commitment to development.

His visit to Xiong'an offered another glimpse of that transformation. Expecting a city filled with construction sites, he instead found one that "already looks like a complete city".

He was impressed by its underground infrastructure, robotics and AI applications. But he and other delegates were also curious about how such development was financed, what drove technological innovation and how local residents had been relocated.

To Kakubo, Xiong'an offered lessons beyond China's borders. "I think it's a city for the whole world," he said.