Lusaka, Tuesday, August 20, 2024: The Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA) is set to formalize a major partnership with China during the upcoming Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC). This MoU will focus on key areas like capacity building, agricultural development, and investment opportunities across various sectors.
Key areas of focus include capacity building, agricultural development with a focus on value addition and post-harvest loss management, as well as investment opportunities in both the public and private sectors. Other priorities include the development of the leather industry, public and private sector investment, and technological advancements in irrigation systems and logistics.
COMESA Secretary General Chileshe Kapwepwe disclosed this during a ceremony at the COMESA Secretariat in Lusaka, Zambia, on Tuesday, August 20, 2024, where she received credentials from the Chinese Ambassador to Zambia, Mr. Han Jing, accrediting him as Special Representative to COMESA.
Key areas of collaboration include hydropower and solar energy, industrialization, trade—particularly e-commerce—and infrastructure development. Additionally, the focus extends to digital payment systems for clearing goods and sovereign currency settlement, fostering globalization through both blue and green economies, and addressing climate change mitigation.
“China remained one of the major sources of imports for the COMESA region commanding a market share of 19% of COMESA’s imports in 2023,” the SG noted.
In 2023, the value of imports from China reached US$ 49 billion rising by 1.8% from US$ 48 billion in 2022. COMESA’s exports to China grew by 3% from USD 24 billion in 2022 to USD 25 billion in 2023. The China export market accounted for 13% of COMESA’s global exports in 2023.
Since 2016, China and COMESA have jointly operated the International Centre on Small Hydro Power in Hangzhou. Earlier this year, COMESA and the International Centre organized a capacity-building workshop on small hydro power development standards, aimed at policy makers and energy project developers, at COMESA Headquarters. The workshop was funded by the International Development Fund through the UNIDO Small Hydro Power Program.
In addition, China, through its Ministry of Water Resources, and COMESA signed a cooperation agreement establishing a visiting scholar program. This initiative is designed to support COMESA’s development while deepening China-Africa cooperation.
As part of this initiative, the COMESA Secretariat received one Chinese visiting scholar for one year from 1st June 2023 to 31st May 2024. The scholar served as focal point for strengthening collaboration between China and COMESA.
This year, China has provided 10 COMESA Staff with scholarships for short-term training in various universities in China.
Ambassador Jing pledged to uphold the strong relationship between his Embassy and COMESA, highlighting the organization’s crucial role as Africa’s largest regional economic bloc.