Namibian President-elect Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah meets with Wang Yi, a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and Chinese Foreign Minister, in Windhoek, the capital of Namibia, on Jan. 6, 2025. [Photo/Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs]

Namibian President-elect Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah on Monday met with Wang Yi, a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and Chinese Foreign Minister, in Windhoek, the capital of Namibia.

Wang conveyed warm greetings from Chinese President Xi Jinping to Ndaitwah, congratulated her on being elected Namibia's first female president and expressed his best wishes for greater achievements in Namibia's nation-building efforts. He said that Chinese foreign ministers have made Africa the destination of their first overseas visit for 35 consecutive years, a tradition that underscores China's unique diplomatic approach.

Noting that this year marks the 35th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Namibia, Wang said bilateral cooperation has immense potential for the future.

He recalled the successful Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) held in Beijing last year when the Chinese president announced 10 partnership action plans to jointly advance modernization. Wang expressed China's readiness to align with Namibia to accelerate the implementation of the summit's outcomes to ensure continuous progress in their comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership.

China will continue to support Namibia in pursuing a development path suited to its national conditions, said Wang, praising Namibia's steadfast adherence to the one-China principle. He said that China is willing to work with Namibia to deepen political trust, strengthen interparty exchanges and share governance experiences to enhance mutual understanding and provide guidance for bilateral relations.

China remains committed to supporting Namibia's economic development by helping transform its resource advantages into developmental and societal benefits, jointly advancing modernization in both countries, Wang said.

With 2025 marking the 80th anniversary of the founding of the United Nations, Wang called for stronger strategic coordination in multilateral fields to safeguard the common interests of Africa and developing countries, while upholding international fairness and justice.

Ndaitwah asked Wang to convey her sincere greetings to President Xi Jinping and gratitude for his congratulatory message following Namibia's presidential election. Ndaitwah said that in 2018, the leaders of Namibia and China elevated their bilateral relations to a comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership, which was of great significance.

She welcomed Wang's visit to Africa and Namibia at the beginning of the new year, noting that he is the first foreign minister she has met since the election, which reflected the high regard both sides hold for the bilateral relations.

Underlining the sister-party relationship between the South West Africa People's Organisation (SWAPO) Party and the CPC, Ndaitwah thanked the CPC for sending representatives to observe Namibia's election and expressed a desire to continue strengthening exchanges and cooperation between the two parties.

Ndaitwah said the people of the two countries have sustained longstanding friendship and Namibia will continue to consolidate and promote bilateral cooperation and remain committed to the one-China principle. She expressed readiness to implement the outcomes of the FOCAC Beijing Summit and enhance cooperation with China in trade, education, agriculture, infrastructure and energy resources, to bring new opportunities for Namibia's economic and social development and deliver benefits to the people of both nations.

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