Namibian Ambassador to China Elia George Kaiyamo [center] visits a booth at the ongoing Third China-Africa Economic and Trade Expo held in Changsha, Central China's Hunan Province, on June 30, 2023. Photo: Courtesy of the ambassador

 
Namibian Ambassador to China Elia George Kaiyamo said he looks forward to Chinese investment in Namibia, hoping to further expand bilateral trade with the world's second-largest economy.

The remarks were made at the ongoing Third China-Africa Economic and Trade Expo held in Changsha, Central China's Hunan Province, on Friday, where representatives from 53 African countries and 12 international organizations gathered to further boost cooperation, with deals worth $19.1 billion expected to be signed. 

The expo has offered another crucial platform for cooperation in various fields and further proof of thriving China-Africa economic and trade ties. 

The ambassador spoke highly of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), emphasized the importance of cooperation with China in infrastructure, connectivity and trade. 

"We are present at the expo to learn from China's best practices and explore opportunities for Chinese companies to cooperate and invest in Namibia," Kaiyamo told the Global Times.

Regarding some Western countries' attempt to "decouple" from China or "de-risk" their trade with China, Kaiyamo said "we are ready to cooperate with China because China is a good market."

In terms of agriculture cooperation, Kaiyamo said Namibia is exporting beef to China, and expressed  gratitude for China's friendship. He also mentioned his country's interest in development mining cooperation.

In March 2019, Namibia exported the first 21 tonnes of beef to China, in a move that is set to diversify the southern African nation's export destinations.

In 2016, Namibia and China signed a milestone agreement that would see A-grade beef enter the Chinese market, making it the only country in Africa to export beef to China, according to the Xinhua News Agency. 

According to statistics from the General Administration of Customs of China, the total trade volume between China and Namibia reached $1.136 billion in 2021, a year-on-year increase of 44.6 percent.