Namibian President’s China Visit Strengthens Economic Ties and Provincial Partnerships
Namibian President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah has concluded a week-long state visit to China, marked by high-level meetings and agreements to deepen economic cooperation. The visit, her first since taking office, focused on expanding trade, industrial partnerships, and green cooperation.
Guangdong Meeting Opens the Visit
President Nandi-Ndaitwah arrived in China on Sunday and began her official engagements on Monday with a meeting with Guangdong province party secretary Huang Kunming, who is also a member of the Political Bureau of the Chinese Communist Party Central Committee. According to the Office of the Presidency, Huang expressed confidence that the visit would “elevate China-Namibia cooperation to new heights, further deepen bilateral relations and strengthen the longstanding friendship between the two countries.”
The president said she deliberately chose Guangzhou, the provincial capital and a global trading hub, as her point of entry because of its significant economic profile, expressing confidence that the visit would create valuable opportunities for the Namibian delegation and accompanying business community. Guangzhou is one of China’s four most important megacities.
Sichuan: Trade Surge and Partnership Invitation
On Tuesday, during bilateral talks in Chengdu with Sichuan Provincial Communist Party Secretary Wang Xiaohui and Governor Shi Xiaolin, President Nandi-Ndaitwah invited the province to partner in agriculture, water, transport, education, health, and other priority areas. Sichuan pledged closer cooperation and disclosed that trade with Namibia has surged by 530%, reaching 3.1 billion yuan in 2025.
The president, accompanied by Cabinet ministers and Namibian business leaders, outlined her government’s development priorities, which include agriculture, water, fisheries, transport and logistics, youth empowerment, quality education, creative industry, health, social welfare, land, housing, and sanitation. She emphasized that Namibia seeks partnerships that deliver practical results and improve the lives of ordinary people, saying, “Our cooperation should really make meaning and have a great impact for the people of our two countries.”
Nandi-Ndaitwah said Namibia identified Sichuan because of its strengths in agriculture, scientific research, and technology, areas where Namibia can learn and benefit.
Beijing Talks with Premier Li Qiang
On Thursday, President Nandi-Ndaitwah met with Chinese Premier Li Qiang in Beijing on the final leg of her visit. Li called on both sides to enhance alignment of development strategies and expand bilateral trade, as well as strengthen cooperation in infrastructure construction, mining, oil and gas, new energy, and other fields. He added that China is ready to import more high-quality agricultural and fishery products from Namibia and encourage it to fully leverage Beijing’s zero-tariff policy.
Earlier in the week, discussions in Guangdong and Sichuan covered trade and investment, renewable energy, digital innovation, and science and technology. China is one of Namibia’s major trading partners, with bilateral trade reaching over $1.85 billion last year, up more than one-third year-on-year.
Perspectives
Namibian government: President Nandi-Ndaitwah emphasized that the visit was to establish partnerships that deliver practical results and improve lives, focusing on agriculture, water, health, and other development priorities.
Chinese provincial leaders: Guangdong and Sichuan officials highlighted confidence in elevating cooperation and disclosed significant trade growth, expressing willingness to strengthen ties in agriculture, technology, and infrastructure.
Chinese central government: Premier Li Qiang stressed aligning development strategies and expanding trade, with a focus on importing Namibian agricultural and fishery products under zero-tariff policies.