Frederick Mutesa, the Secretary-General of the Zambia-China Friendship Association, speaks during an interview with Xinhua in Lusaka, Zambia, Nov 7, 2022. (Photo by Martin Mbangweta/Xinhua)
An association that promotes friendship between Zambia and China said on Wednesday that China's development model is inspiring for developing countries still struggling with development.
LUSAKA, Nov. 11 (Xinhua) -- An association that promotes friendship between Zambia and China said on Wednesday that China's development model is inspiring for developing countries still struggling with development.
Frederick Mutesa, the Secretary-General of the Zambia-China Friendship Association, said China's rise to become the second largest economy in the world was a shining example of what good leadership, good organization and hard work could achieve.
He said there was need for developing countries to understand China's development model which has seen economic transformation resulting in improved living standards of its people.
Mutesa, who is a development expert and a former Lecturer in the Department of Development Studies at the University of Zambia (UNZA), said it was encouraging to see how China has moved from having essential features of a third world country to become the second largest economy.
Photo taken on June 2, 2022 shows the milling plant funded by China in Lusaka, Zambia. Zambia on Friday officially commissioned three state-of-the-art milling plants funded by China. (Xinhua/Zhang Yuliang)
According to him, China's milestone of lifting over 100 million of people out of poverty even way ahead of the United Nations (UN) Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) goals was a remarkable achievement by global standard.
"There are a lot of lessons that we can learn from China-among them the importance of a country having a long-term vision of where they would like to go and this can't just be five year plan but something that outlives the planners," he said in an interview.
He praised China's development model which takes into account the interest of the local political, social, economic as well as cultural dynamics as well as puts the interest of people first.
He further commended China for having a progressive foreign policy which has been actualized through various initiatives such as the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) and the Belt and Road Initiative.
According to him, the initiatives were helping to reform the global order in a way that offers developing countries like Zambia to engage differently, adding that the Belt and Road initiative was key to opening up.
He expressed optimism on China's continued cooperation with developing countries like Zambia, saying China has in the past demonstrated unwavering commitment to the ties.
