03 Sep 2024

Botswana is expected to further solidify both its economic and bilateral relations with China and the rest of Africa during the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC).

The summit, which His Excellency President Dr Mokgweetsi Eric Keabetswe Masisi will be part of, starts in China today until Friday. 

Minister of Foreign Affairs, Honourable Dr Lemogang Kwape highlighted the significance of Botswana’s participation at FOCAC in an interview, saying the relationship between the two countries had gestated over a long period of time.

“Since the establishment of diplomatic relations in 1975, Botswana and China have expanded cooperation in agriculture, health care, education, infrastructure, digital construction and other fields and government is keen to further nurture such cooperation through actively participating in forums of this nature,” Dr Kwape said.  

Also, Botswana became the 46^th country in the continent to sign a Memorandum of Understanding on the China-proposed Belt and Road initiative in 2021.

In many areas, the China-Botswana partnership, he said had delivered some concrete outcomes that were beneficial to Batswana adding that there was need to utilise the partnership to the fullest in terms of available market and the business opportunities. 

He said it was also necessary to align the partnership with the strategic objectives of the attainment of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Minister Kwape said the number of Chinese scholarships to Batswana had increased to a record high of over 100 this year, which was testament to the growing relations between the two countries.

Further, he said China had been instrumental in Botswana’s infrastructure development drive through either awarding of low interests or grants, which came with skills transfer from Chinese personnel and experts.

“It is worth noting that there are lot of roads, schools and health care centres, which are constructed through the aid from the Chinese government and private sector alike,” he said.

With China already established as a superpower in technology, innovation and electric car components, Minister Kwape said Botswana could benchmark against China’s success story to write its own history on technology and industrial revolution.

It is on this background that Minister Kwape said the prospects of Kgwakgwe Hill (K.Hill) battery-grade manganese project came at an opportune time to be beneficial for Botswana.

Additionally, he said it was also important for Botswana to further bolster the diamond sales with China market since it was a promising force to be reckoned with in the diamond sales market.

The FOCAC gathering culminates a sequence of agenda-setting engagements starting with the African diplomatic corps in Beijing, a senior officials meeting that packages proposals, a ministerial conference to refine them and finally the FOCAC summit. 

The summit takes place every three years, alternating between China and Africa. 

The theme for this year’s summit is; Joining Hands to Advance Modernisation and Build a High-Level China-Africa Community with a Shared Future. Ends