On September 2, 2018, Xiao Yaqing, Director of the State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission of the State Council, attended the China-Zambia Business Forum held by China Nonferrous Metal Mining (Group) Co., Ltd. (CNMC). He encouraged CNMC to become bigger and stronger, hoped that CNMC should “go global”, intensify its investment and development in Zambia.

In his speech at the forum, Director Xiao Yaqing spoke highly of the important contributions made by CNMC to promote friendly cooperation between China and Zambia, and proposed measures to carry forward China-Zambia and China-Africa cooperation. He emphasized that the forthcoming Beijing Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation is a grand gathering of China and African countries to discuss friendship, cooperation and future. It is of great significance for China and Africa to work together to build a closer community of destiny between China and Africa. The State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission and central enterprises will conscientiously implement the spirit of the Beijing Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation, especially the spirit of the important keynote speech of President Xi Jinping at the opening ceremony, and the important consensus reached by President Xi Jinping and President Lungu, insist on the principle of co-building and sharing, firmly grasp the new opportunities brought about by the “Belt and Road” to interface with Africa's development, and promote the pragmatic cooperation between Chinese and African enterprises to a higher level. As a regulatory agency, SASAC will encourage and support various central enterprises including CNMC to develop on the basis of marketization and carry out extensive and deeper cooperation with Zambian enterprises in energy resources development, infrastructure construction, capacity cooperation, and humanities exchanges. Efforts will be made to help with Zambia's industrialization and modernization process, and make new and greater contributions to China-Zambia and China-Africa economic and trade cooperation so that it will step into a new phase and achieve fruitful results.

Before the forum began, Director Xiao Yaqing, accompanied by Wang Tongzhou and other leaders, met with Edgar Lungu, President of the Republic of Zambia and his party. He said that nourished by China-Zambia's profound friendship, 17 central enterprises including CNMC have cooperated extensively with Zambian enterprises in various fields such as minerals, transportation, electric power, manufacturing and agriculture, completed a number of major cooperation projects, such as the Chambishi Copper Mine, the Lower Kafue Gorge Hydropower Station, the Building Materials Industrial Park, and the Friendship Farm, and established the Zambia China Economic and Trade Cooperation Zone and other “incubators” for economic and trade cooperation. Especially since the Johannesburg Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation in 2015, the central enterprises have actively implemented the spirit of the summit, enhanced cooperation with Zambia, become a strong support for Zambia's industrialization and modernization process, and made tangible contributions to the development of bilateral economic and trade relations and the benefit of the people in the two countries. The Beijing Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation will be held soon. Yesterday, President Xi Jinping met with President Lungu and reached an important consensus, pointing out the direction for the consolidation and development of China and Zambia's all-weather friendship. As the largest Chinese-funded enterprise in Zambia, CNMC has received the cordial care of President Lungu and the support of the Zambian government. As the supervision and management department of central enterprises, the State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission of the State Council will guide the central enterprises including CNMC to actively promote higher-level pragmatic cooperation in the economic and trade fields of China and Zambia in an open and cooperative manner in accordance with the requirements of President Xi Jinping.

   

In addition, Director Xiao Yaqing also visited the exhibition hall of CNMC accompanied by Wang Tongzhou and other leaders. He was very pleased to see the reform and development of CNMC in recent years, especially the new achievements and new progress in prioritizing international business development strategy, increasing international capacity cooperation and “going global” in response to the “Belt and Road Initiative”. He said that “going global” is the highlight and core competitive advantage of CNMC. It is necessary to take the opportunity of the 40th anniversary of reform and opening up, the 5th anniversary of the “Belt and Road Initiative” and the connection between the initiative and the development in Africa, deepen the implementation of the spirit of the Beijing Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation, further focus on industry, highlight the main business, emphasize on professionalism, continue to be stronger and better, and make greater contributions to China-foreign trade and economic exchanges. Director Xiao Yaqing encouraged CNMC to conscientiously study and implement Xi Jinping's new era of socialism with Chinese characteristics and the spirit of the 19th CPC Congress, follow the requirements of high quality development, comprehensively deepen enterprise reform, promote innovation and development, expand foreign cooperation, and create a world-class mining group with global competitiveness.

During the forum, Director Xiao Yaqing also had an in-depth exchange with Li Baodong, Deputy Director of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, Wang Yongqing, Vice Chairman of the National Federation of Industry and Commerce, Chen Quanxun, Chairman of China Nonferrous Metals Industry Association, Lin Yi, Vice Chairman of Chinese People's Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries, and Li Jie, Chinese Ambassador to Zambia and other guests.

Accompanied by Chairman Wang Tongzhou and other leaders, Director Xiao Yaqing visited the exhibition hall of CNMC