On the morning of May 11, 2026, the Chinese Embassy hosted an economic seminar, attended by representatives from media houses and think tanks of Namibia. The transcript of the seminar is as follows:
Amb. Zhao:
Good morning media friends, it's good to see you again. There are also some new friends. Actually, this is not only a news briefing. It's also a discussion. We not only welcome your questions, but also welcome your views and suggestions on how Namibia could enjoy the full benefits of China's zero-tariff policy, which took effect on May 1st.
First, I wish to invite Mr. Wei Jinming, Counselor for Economic Affairs at the Embassy, to give you a briefing on the background of this zero-tariff policy, its purposes, and what it means for Africa, Namibia, and China-Africa relations and China-Namibia economic cooperation. So I will now give the floor to Counselor Wei.
Counselor Wei:
Good morning. My name is Wei Jinming. I'm the Counselor of the Chinese Embassy in charge of economic and commercial affairs. And under the instruction of Ambassador Zhao, I would like to give all the Namibian friends a general overview of China's zero-tariff policy to Africa from five aspects.
The first point is to introduce the background of China's zero-tariff policy. On May 1st, 2026, China has fully implemented zero-tariff measures for all 53 African countries with which it has diplomatic relations, becoming the first major economy in the world to unilaterally and comprehensively implement zero-tariff on all African countries with which it has diplomatic relations.
In September 2024, two years ago, at the Beijing Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation, for short, FOCAC, President Xi Jinping announced that all least developed countries with which China has diplomatic relations, including 33 African countries, would be granted zero-tariff treatment on 100% of their products. In June 2025, in his congratulatory message to the Ministerial Meeting of Coordinators for the Implementation of the Outcomes of FOCAC, President Xi Jinping expanded the scope of zero-tariff treatment to all 53 African countries with which China has diplomatic relations.
On February 14, 2026, President Xi Jinping sent a congratulatory message to the 39th African Union Summit, proposing that China would fully implement zero-tariff treatment to 53 African countries having diplomatic relations with China, starting from May 1, 2026, one and a half weeks ago. At the same time, China will continue to push forward the negotiation and signing of the Agreements on Economic Partnership for Shared Development between China and the African countries, for short, we call it CADEPA, and further expand the access for African exports to China by upgrading the “green channel” and other measures. This is the first point.
The second point I'd like to brief is the reasons why China came up with this zero-tariff policy. China and Africa have always been a community with a shared future. The two peoples have forged profound friendship based on similar sufferings and struggles in their histories for a long time. Both sides have supported each other in trying times and embarked on a distinctive path of cooperation in the journey towards development and revitalization.
In 2025, China-Africa trade reached 348 billion USD, marking a year-on-year increase of 17.7% and setting a new historical record. China has remained Africa's largest trading partner for 16 consecutive years.
China's direct investment in Africa also increased a lot. Investment stock till now reached more than 40 billion USD. More than 3,500 Chinese enterprises are operating in Africa.
Currently, the world has entered a new era of turbulence and change. Anti-globalization trends with unilateralism and protectionism are on the rise. Global crises such as geopolitics and climate change occur frequently. China-Africa cooperation and development are facing great uncertainty.
Against this background, China and Africa need to carry forward the tradition of sincerity and friendship and maintain mutual support, so as to better protect our own interests of development, safeguard and promote shared development through the establishment of institutional arrangements for China-Africa economic and trade cooperation. This is why China proposed implementing zero-tariff measures on African countries through the signing of CADEPA.
China took the lead in reducing tariffs under the framework of the Economic Partnership Agreement for Shared Development, aiming to rapidly ease market access for African goods, promote more high-quality African products to enter China's massive market and help African countries develop industries, increase income, improve people's livelihoods, enhance the economic resilience of both sides, and maintain the stability of global and regional supply chains. This is a pragmatic action by China to carry out such cooperation as a responsible developing country and to proactively shoulder international responsibilities. The zero-tariff treatment demonstrates the essence of community with a shared future for humanity.
A favorable international environment is indispensable for developing countries to achieve modernization. Certain countries pose enormous challenges to developing countries by pursuing unilateralism, protectionism and trade bullying, which severely disrupts global trade order. In contrast, implementation of the zero-tariff treatment is a vivid example of China taking concrete actions to promote the common development of Global South and practicing the vision of the community with a shared future for humanity. This serves not only to bolster confidence in Africans' growth, contribute to China and Africans' joint pursuit of modernization, but also to uphold the global trade system as well as boost international cooperation with Africa.
Third point, I would like to elaborate the benefit of this policy to Africa and as well as Namibia.
To Africa, zero-tariff treatment is the catalyst for China-Africa cooperation. The full implementation of the zero-tariff treatment gives new opportunities for China and Africa to enhance and expand trade and investment cooperation. In the near term, this policy will substantially increase the competitiveness of African products in Chinese market, unleash the potential of trade with China for African countries, and expand the scale and profitability of African exports to China.
In the medium and long term, this policy will encourage more Chinese companies to invest and operate in Africa, support the continent's industrialization, agricultural modernization, and regional integration, better integrate Africa into global industry, supply and value chains, as well as further broaden, deepen, and elevate the mutually beneficial China-Africa cooperation. This is to the whole continent.
To Namibia, first, it will be a great push for unleashing the potential of more Namibian products to enter the China's market of over 1.4 billion people at lower cost. The removal of tariffs will directly reduce entry barriers, enhance competitiveness, and help Namibian enterprises secure more orders and achieve more stable market access. We know previously, tariff on Namibia beef and mutton imported from Namibia to China ranged from 12% to 25%. But these tariffs have now been reduced to zero, which indicates significant potential for future exports to China.
Furthermore, Namibian wide aquatic products, grapes and blueberries are also undergoing export procedures to China. The government of China and Namibia expect to sign formal agreements in the near future. This will enable exports to China of those products.
The tariff previously on the aquatic products is 7%, on the grapes is 13%, and on the blueberries is 20%, The tariff on these products will also be reduced to zero. The export of those products to China holds enormous trade potential, and bilateral trade between our two countries is expected to grow rapidly. This is the first benefit to Namibia.
The second benefit to Namibia is that it will be a great push for driving local industry upgrading by producing value-added products. A stable expectation of exports to China will attract more foreign investment, including from China to Namibia, encouraging more enterprises to establish processing and manufacturing facilities that utilize tariff preferences and position Namibia as a production base for exports to China. This will directly promote local manufacturing and facilitate Namibia's transition from exporting raw materials to exporting processed and value-added products.
As production scales up, enterprises will place great emphasis on processing, quality improvement, and brand development, thereby stimulating growth in deep processing, packaging, logistics, and quality certification systems, creating more jobs and increasing incomes for farmers and small and medium-sized enterprises. By continuously raising standards and quality, Namibia's products will build a stronger brand image in international markets.
The third benefit is that this policy will be a great push for Namibia's status as a logistics hub in Southern Africa. On the one hand, the increased logistics demand for local Namibian products will, in turn, prompt the upgrading of local transportation and infrastructure, such as roads and ports. On the other hand, the overall increase in logistics demand for products in Southwest Africa will further highlight Namibia's unique advantage as a deep-water port in Southwest Africa, helping to further strengthen Namibia's logistic infrastructure. That's the third point.
The fourth one I'd like to share with Namibia friends is China's relevant support measures for this zero-tariff policy. The zero-tariff treatment is a set of synchronized policies. China has also formulated many supporting measures to drive the tariff to zero and eliminate non-tariff barriers.
For example, streamline custom clearance procedures and improve the “green lane” initiative to cut the clearance and turnaround time, utilize the China International Import Expo, the China-Africa Economic and Trade Expo, as well as cross-border e-commerce platforms to facilitate market access for fine African products. The mix of coordinated measures effectively reduce transaction costs caused by information asymmetry or lack of distribution channels, accurately align supply with demand, as well as identify and amplify the policy and institutional dividends.
At the same time, the Chinese government will encourage and support Chinese-funded enterprises to cooperate with Namibian local enterprises in product processing, standardize the processing of meat, fish, and other products, and transform primary raw materials into marketable, higher value-added, and compliant finished products, thus bridging the “last mile” for product export to China and allowing policy benefits to reach local people more directly.
We hope all relevant parties in Namibia will make full use of the aforementioned support measures, seize the opportunities brought by the zero-tariff policy, promote the continuous deepening of bilateral economic and trade relations, and better benefit Namibia's economic and social development. That's the fourth point.
The last point I'd like to emphasize is the next steps between our two countries and two governments. To ensure that the zero-tariff policy becomes a long-term institutional arrangement, China and Namibia still need to negotiate and sign the framework agreement and the early harvest agreement for the agreement on CADEPA as soon as possible. China and Namibia are currently carrying out relevant procedures. It is hoped that both sides will strengthen communication and coordination, sign the framework agreement as soon as possible, and launch negotiations on the early harvest agreement. After that, both sides can choose one or more of the four specific modules, including “more convenient trade”, “more inclusive growth”, “more resilient supply chains”, and “more modern development areas”, to negotiate and ultimately reach a comprehensive, integrated module agreement. That's what I want to share with all Namibian friends about the zero-tariff policy. Thank you.
Amb. Zhao:
Thank you, Counselor Wei. I think Counselor Wei has made a very good summary of the background, the purposes and the benefits of China's zero-tariff policy. Recently we have already seen some news reports or comments in the local media here about the meaning of this zero-tariff policy. And especially, of course, it's natural for Namibian friends to pay special attention to what kind of benefits Namibians will enjoy.
For us working in the Chinese Embassy, we also pay attention to those issues and how we can make the zero tariff best serve our bilateral relations. We should use this opportunity to deepen China-Namibia economic cooperation. Now I wish to invite our friends from the media, from the academia, to share with us your questions, comments and suggestions. Thank you.
Dr. Muine Samahiya:
Thank you very much, Ambassador and Counselor. My name is Muine Samahiya. I'm a teacher at the University of Namibia.
I've recently written a piece in respect of this policy. And I really appreciate that the Counselor expounded on that aspect. Especially my concern given that African countries' exports to China are mainly primary. And especially from Namibia, it's mainly from the mining sector, which we know is very capital intensive. Yes, we appreciate that there is so much that is exported from that sector. But given its capital extensiveness, my concern is, especially in Namibia, the issue of employment creation and so forth.
So the Counselor expounded that in the future, this would go on to help Namibia process some of its primary products, which is very positive news indeed. Because I think that's where the country is going forward, to be able to help the country to create more jobs for the youth and everybody else.
So now my question, of course, then would be, we know what happens in China in terms of manufacturing and so forth, the experience from China will help Namibia in terms of value addition. But in terms of the market itself, I'm hoping that if Namibia starts to process these products, there is also a sufficient market in China where they can be able to find space for themselves in the local market. The policy will help in terms of making them more competitive. But I'm not so sure what extent then that will lead to more access to the market. So that's just my question at this stage.
But otherwise, I think it's a very commendable move by China. And I think it's very much appreciated and welcomed at this point. Thank you so much.
Amb. Zhao:
Thank you very much, Dr. Samahiya. I think I read your article. That's a well-versed article. You put forward some very good points, and thank you for that.
In your comments, I think you expressed again the desire for Namibia to have more value addition, to develop its own processing or manufacturing sector. And I think that's a natural aspiration for any country.
In the early 1980s, China was facing the same situation that most developing countries are facing today. Because at that time, China's economy was also very weak. We had to rely heavily on foreign investments, because there was almost no other way for us to go at that time. And to use foreign investments in today's globalized world, I think it's also a natural thing. Because no matter how rich your domestic capital is, you still need foreign investment. I think that's a kind of economic law.
Of course, I cannot talk about the economic law too much as we have real experts here. But for developing countries, it's necessary to promote foreign direct investment, because we are in shortage of capital, and that is critical for development.
But by saying that, I think China, we fully understand your desire. Actually, not only Namibia, but also countries across the African continent. It's a common aspiration, and it's only natural. I think eventually, or gradually, it will become a reality. China is a very good case, a very good example in this regard.
So China has no problem with your aspiration for value addition. And by this zero-tariff policy, and by signing the CADEPA, the China-Africa Economic Partnership Agreement for Shared Development, our Namibian friends, or African friends, will see more clearly our willingness to be more supportive or more helpful for your industrialization and value addition efforts.
And actually, we have also done some research within the Embassy on how the Embassy can play a role in the context of zero-tariff policy. And recently, when a Chinese private enterprise contacted the Embassy, asking for our advice for them to come here to invest in the food processing sector of Namibia, we welcomed that very much. They knocked on the door of the Embassy timely, because we are just thinking of that.
So as Counselor Wei has already indicated in his comments, from now on, we will spend more energy in helping attract some Chinese manufacturers to Namibia to set up companies such as food processing. For example, you produce a lot of beef, and now you are exporting beef to China, but it's raw beef, it's not processed one. Can we think of setting up a factory here to produce dried beef?
You have biltong, of course, that's very delicious. But if you introduce it to the Chinese market, I think we need a lot of promotion, because the taste is different. In China, we have a similar thing, and we call it dried beef. But the taste is different. So the Chinese companies can come here to produce dried beef according to the Chinese taste, and then export it back to China. I think it's workable.
Not only the dried beef, we can also think about setting up a factory here for Chinese investors to produce dried grapes or raisins. Chinese people also consume a lot of raisins. So these are all the options we can explore in future. Thank you.
Mr. Joseph Sheehama:
Thank you, Ambassador, and Counselor. My name is Joseph Sheehama. I am an independent economist, especially in business and economics, and I also wrote articles that are talking about China's zero-tariff.
I made a few notes while Counselor was giving us very comprehensive information, with some information which I never had, but now it is documented.
So my comment is that this is a game changer for Africa and Namibia. If you look at AGOA, for instance, the policy and some of the conditions, and looking at China's zero-tariff, it will help Namibia move away from the headache. For us it was a headache, but now this is a very good relationship. It is a good policy that has been implemented.
While the Counselor was talking, there are three points I documented, which I call economic benefits. The first one is that it will improve efficiency, reduce average costs and also enhance competitiveness in the African market, especially looking at the export market. And that is what Africa wants. Africa wants friends who are truly friends, and trade friends.
The second one, it strengthens the quality consistency and regulatory compliance, it's sort of a win-win.
And the third one, it promotes industrialization by ensuring multiple stages of the value chain within the region, as well as supporting employment creation. As we know, looking at our youth, for instance, they need that. Not only the youth, but each and every one needs to uplift their living standards.
I have been to China for modernization as well as FOCAC, and I have seen that we need this modernization. We need these skills in Namibia. And that is the technology that will help us.
The last thing, in my own view, is that Africa and Namibia cannot stand alone, but need a friend like China. Thank you.
Mr. Emil Seibeb:
Thank you, Ambassador. I am Emil Seibeb, and I work for the Namibian Broadcasting Corporation.
Ambassador, the statement delivered by the Counsellor speaks about 53 African countries that the Chinese government has bilateral relations with. We are aware of the situation between China and Eswatini. Would you mind giving a comment? Is there a potential of a relationship coming between Eswatini and China? Now it is excluded from the zero-tariff policy that has been offered or that has been granted to the rest of Africa. Thank you so much.
Amb. Zhao:
Yeah, if Eswatini decides to establish diplomatic relations with China, I think they will automatically enjoy this zero-tariff. But because of their so-called diplomatic relations with a province of China, actually, that's not appropriate to enjoy this policy.
Mr.Frans Sinengela
Ambassador, thank you very much for your concern. My name is Frans and I'm from Eagle FM. As usual, my area of specialty is international geopolitics, there is some sort of policy that is too loud in the West. And that is the containment of China. And it is kind of embedded in Western existence politically.
To a certain extent, we see military equipment being sold to Taiwan. And also officials visiting Taiwan on some so-called bilateral agreements with Taiwan, ignoring the one-China policy that was established in the 1970s. Now, this zero-tariff policy China is introducing with African countries, is it not going to one day become a battlefield between China and the West in Africa? Because the West wants to contain China economically, not to allow China to be ahead in any sphere. So, how is China prepared to safeguard these kinds of relations with Africa?
Amb. Zhao:
Okay, thank you Frans for your question. I think we have explained very clearly the purpose for China to introduce this zero-tariff treatment to 53 African countries having diplomatic relations with China. It's a major move in the economic relations between China and Africa.
We know that some countries or some people in the West, they like to politicize everything. They like to interpret everything out of their intention, or out of their calculation, to serve their political purposes. But for China, the purpose of this zero-tariff treatment is very clear. We want to further deepen our bilateral cooperation with the African continent.
And we think that will be mutually beneficial to China and Africa. So we should not pay too much attention to what some people or some countries may think. Actually the zero-tariff policy itself, it doesn't target any third party. It's just an arrangement made by China for China-Africa economic relations.
So it's not necessary for us to pay too much attention to what other people or other countries may think. As time goes on, more and more people around the world, if they are objective and don't have other interests, will come to see that China will honor our words. That means what we say about the purpose of this zero-tariff policy and what we do in future will be in strict conformity with the purpose we publicly declared today. And I'm sure that you will see more clearly, some time later, the benefits it will bring to Africa. Thank you.
Mr. David Shoombe
Thank you Ambassador. Thank you for having us here. My name is David Shoombe, I'm from the Villager newspaper.
And I have a comment and a question. The comment is regarding the zero-tariff policy. China has been a very good friend to Africa. Looking at the situation as a friend of China, we have problems in Namibia. I understand that you also see the policies of Namibia and the transition of the President of Namibia, particularly looking at doing more than trading and also stopping the consumer economy to make sure that the issues such as employment in Namibia are addressed. Now we have a problem with unemployment and then the problem of energy sector.
In trade relations, particularly regarding the mining sector, to be specific, 80 to 90 percent of uranium is going to China. Maybe Ambassador if you can share the progress which has been done, particularly in terms of the value addition to minerals, particularly between Namibia and China.
The other aspect is that the President of Namibia has also given a proclamation to say to tackle the aspect of energy sector. Namibia should not shy away from testing the issue of nuclear energy for good use. If China is asked to help Namibia to establish even a nuclear plant, especially to enter to our grid, can that be a positive sign, especially to our energy sector? Thank you.
Amb. Zhao:
Thank you for your question.
I think in terms of China-Namibia cooperation, or in terms of China's investment in Namibia's mineral sector, yes, we do have two uranium mines here. They are making significant contribution, not only to our bilateral economic cooperation, but also to Namibia's social and economic development.
Uranium is a very special resource. Because of the special nature of this resource, currently the two Chinese uranium mines have already done a lot of processing here, but maybe it's difficult to have all the processing take place here in Namibia. That's the first point.
And actually, so far, Chinese investment in Namibia's mineral sector mainly focus on uranium. Last year, a Chinese company acquired one gold mine here. That would be another major Chinese investment project in your mineral sector. Otherwise, I can't think of any other major Chinese investment. Maybe the Xinfeng lithium project, that's also another one. But I think they have stopped production for some time, if my information is correct.
So talking about Chinese investment in Namibia, maybe people have the impression that Chinese investment is in every aspect of the mineral sector here. But actually, as I mentioned, there are only two major uranium investment projects. They are really huge. Husab Mine is still China's largest single investment in Africa. And the total investment reached about 5 billion USD. That's really huge. But otherwise, we don't have too many investments in other mineral resources here. That's the first point I want to say.
The second point is that we are supportive of Namibia's efforts in increasing value addition. I think that's a fair aspiration. And talking about nuclear power cooperation, we are also very open-minded. I personally think that it's a good idea for Namibia to develop a nuclear power plant. I have read newspapers to know different opinions here, and I think it's a good idea, because you have one of the largest uranium reserves, you are one of the largest uranium producers, so you certainly have the right to develop your own nuclear power plant. From whatever perspective, it's fully understandable.
In China, we have a very strong nuclear power industry. Although nuclear power still accounts for a small percentage of our energy mix, I think our nuclear power industry is going to become the number one in the world very soon. We have the Chinese companies that have experience, technology and capital. So I very much hope our two countries can cooperate on your nuclear power plant project.
Of course that's your sovereign right. You have to have a careful study of what kind of development mode to choose. But as I said, we are open-minded, and we will be very positive if Namibia chooses to partner with China for your nuclear power plant project. Thank you.
Mr. Phillipus Josef:
Thank you Ambassador, my name is Phillipus Josef. I'm from the Namibian Sun newspaper. Given the fact that China is Namibia's biggest trading partner, there are still these worries among our locals, especially the businesses, on the issue of them being overwhelmed by the cheap products that have been imported here (from China). So based on that, what would you say to our businesses who worry that this relationship would end up hurting them, instead of helping them?
And then my second question is on the issue of the logistical topic. Basically what I want to ask is, when it comes to exports, especially among our local businesses, there are still challenges, especially on strict measures placed by China, which often impact our locals. So I just want to know, what are the major obstacles that our Namibian companies need to overcome?
And then taking the last question, as my colleague also stated earlier, especially with the news that has been calling out around through the corridors of the Western powers, and given the fact that China is also a superpower country on its own, so how should all Namibians look at the partnership between Namibia and China? Should one see it as a geopolitical cooperation, a strategic partnership, or trade diplomacy? Thank you.
Amb. Zhao:
First, I want to say that our bilateral trade is developing very well. Last year, according to statistics on the Namibian side, our bilateral trade reached about 2.3 billion USD. China is one of Namibia's biggest export destination. And Namibia enjoys trade benefits. I recently read some reports in the local newspaper saying that Namibia suffers a trade deficit with China. I think that's not accurate. Your exports to China are more than imports from China.
And the good news I just read in today's newspaper is that, according to statistics on the Namibian side, for the first quarter of this year, our bilateral trade continued to grow significantly, double-digit growth. And also the good news is that Namibia continues to enjoy a surplus in the first quarter of our bilateral trade.
You mentioned that Namibians are overwhelmed by cheap Chinese goods, and local businesses are worried that it will hurt their interest. I don't know what you are specifically referring to. Chinese goods are cheap, but they are also of good quality. You cannot get the same quality goods at the same price.
And I think if you are a frequent Chinese goods buyer here, you will also come to this conclusion or this impression. Actually, Chinese goods first entered the Namibian market in the 1990s. And compared with the Chinese goods available here with those in the 1990s, you will see that today it's very difficult to find those low-quality Chinese goods here. If you visit the Chinatown, in the past maybe low-income Namibians went there for shopping. But now you can see quite a number of well-to-do people, they are shopping there.
And like the ladies' dress or men's suits, you can wear those suits even on very official occasions, they still look quite fashionable. So I think maybe that's an old impression some people have about the Chinese goods--they are cheap, but they are not so good. Maybe we need to change that impression. Because the reality is very different now.
I think Namibian people welcome Chinese commodities. You mentioned that some local businesses feel worried that their interests will be hurt. I think the local businesses here don't produce those goods here. You either import from China or you import from other parts of the world. So I don't know why they think their interests will be hurt.
But actually, I think either the wholesalers or the retailers here, many of them, they depend on selling Chinese commodities for profits. And that's why Chinese commodities are very welcome here. Actually I have to tell you, so far as I know, my visa office colleagues told me that there are quite some Namibian female business talents travel to China monthly just to import Chinese commodities. And they will carry some of the commodities with them when they are back to Namibia. And of course, as a passenger, there's a strict restriction on how much they can bring in. But even so, they can still make profits, not only to support themselves, but also their whole family.
Very interestingly, almost all of them are female, almost no gentlemen. It's not easy for them. They have to endure time differences and long flights, but because it's profitable. I think jobs are created in such kind of small trade. I also heard that they are trying to push relevant government agencies here to give them some favorable policies, to make their life and their business easier. So that's the second thing.
You also mentioned that because of the strict measures imposed by the Chinese side, some of the local businesses are worried about that. I don't know what you are referring to. If you can share with us more of the details, I will answer that later.
And for the question whether China and Namibia are geopolitical partners, I want to emphasize that both China and Namibia, we are independent sovereign countries. And we both pursue a non-alignment foreign policy. But we are both developing countries, and we belong to the global south, and we also enjoy traditional friendship. So we develop our bilateral, friendly, and cooperative relationship, and the purpose is not for geopolitical purposes.
Our bilateral relations never target any third country. China never told Namibia, you should only have a partnership with us, and should not have partnerships with anyone else. Namibia never asked China to only be a partner with Namibia and not be a partner with others. The same thing. So we only develop our relationship for the interests of our friendship, and also for mutually beneficial cooperation. That's the nature of China-Namibia relations. Thank you.
Mr. Musa Kaseke
Good afternoon, Ambassador. Thank you very much for the invite. My name is Musa, and I just want to find out how long the zero-tariff policy is guaranteed, and what triggers could lead to its revision or withdrawal. Thank you.
Amb. Zhao:
Actually, I don't think this zero-tariff policy for Namibia will be withdrawn. Let me explain why I say that.
It seemingly conflicts with our public announcement that this policy will be a two-year interim measure. Why do we call it an interim measure? Because according to the WTO rules, if we want to make it permanent, we need to sign the CADEPA. As I understand, China itself is a developing country, we cannot unilaterally give other countries zero-tariff treatment. So if it is to be a kind of zero-tariff treatment, there has to be an agreement like the CADEPA. And through that agreement, we can solve the problem of compliance with WTO rules.
But it's very clear that we will not ask for zero-tariff treatment from African countries. The purpose of the policy is that we really want to help our African friends more, and we really want to deepen our bilateral cooperation.
As I said, we still need to negotiate and sign the CADEPA. Such negotiation will naturally take some time, it may take a couple of years or several years. That's why we unilaterally implement this zero-tariff policy starting May 1st. We want our African friends to enjoy the benefits of zero-tariff treatment as soon as possible, rather than implementing it after we sign that agreement. So that is the purpose.
We also hope that during these two years, our African friends will see the benefits, the tangible benefits of this zero-tariff policy. And that may encourage our African friends to also think, okay, we should speed up, we should accelerate the negotiation of the agreement. We have seen very good intentions on the part of the Namibian government in pushing forward the negotiation and signing of the CADEPA.
So that's why my prediction is that this zero-tariff policy for Namibia will not be withdrawn, according to the points I've made. Because we already see very good intentions on the part of the Namibian government to push forward the negotiation and signing of the CADEPA agreement. And I think two years will be enough, maybe our Namibian friends also think so as well. Thank you.
Mr. Cons Karamata:
Thank you, Ambassador and Counselor Wei for your presentation and for the economic participation in Namibia.
I want to commend China for the zero-tariff policy. One could agree with Ambassador that the policy could go a long way in promoting domestic industrialization, but also food security, which is currently a focus of our new administration. I also welcome the news that there could be possible investments by Chinese companies in local food production.
You mentioned beef industry and also grapes. I just want to point out, Ambassador, that another area also related to beef production is cattle feed production. Because of our dry climate, it's very costly to produce cattle feed here. Most of it is imported from South Africa, which is very, very expensive. And it makes farming very expensive here. I believe that we can benefit from Chinese technology, and we can benefit from Chinese investments in that area as well. I'm just hoping that Ambassador can also take that on board and maybe just comment on that.
Amb. Zhao:
Yeah, good suggestion. In my retirement, I will come back to Namibia again to set up an animal feed factory. (Laughter)
I also want to add one point. China and Namibia have already signed the quarantine agreement to export your mutton to China. So now, within the context of the treatment, the Embassy has decided to make it our priority to help mutton producers here to realize the export of Namibian mutton to China at an earlier date.
For that purpose, next week, we will invite some representatives of local mutton producers and also some officials from the Ministry of Agriculture of Namibia to the embassy. We will have a discussion with them to inform them how to register, because the agreement has already been signed. According to the procedure, exporters here should register with the Chinese Customs Authority. So we will help them register, and we will also provide facilitation. In the meantime, we are also trying to locate potential Chinese importers. We hope we can link them together, to make Namibia's export of mutton to China happen at an earlier date.
That's another example I just want to demonstrate again our full sincerity. This zero-tariff policy is not something symbolic, not just for media effect. We really want to make it effective in deepening our bilateral economic cooperation. Thank you.
Any more questions? I think we have enough reason to start lunch now. It's 12 o'clock. If you have any other comments, you are also welcome. Otherwise, we can continue our discussion during the lunch. Thank you.