.YANG

By REBECCA MUSHOTA –

ZAMBIA will receive more support and cooperation from China due to the continued good relations which have been enhanced by President Edgar Lungu’s recent State visit to that country.
Chinese Ambassador to Zambia Yang Youming said President Lungu’s recent visit was fruitful and that Zambia is yet to see more benefits from the trip.
He was speaking when a delegation from Nanjing Municipal Council in China donated 200 books to the Lusaka City Council (LCC) yesterday.
“China and Zambia enjoy excellent relations and they have fruitful cooperation. The recent one was the big event when President Lungu paid China a State visit,” Mr Yang said.
He said President Lungu and Chinese President Xi Jinping discussed various issues in depth which would lead to more cooperation between China and Zambia.
Zambians will soon see many benefits from the discussions held.
Mr Yang said the areas that the two leaders explored were economic and trade as well as education and culture.
On the education and culture front, there would be visits from Chinese delegations to Zambia.
The Chinese Government through its ministry of culture has also come up with a policy to designate individual city councils to form partnerships with other councils across the world.
The Nanjing municipality has picked Lusaka to be the city to partner with for cooperation in various sectors.
The Nanjing municipality donated the books written in English about China to be used in the council libraries and brought a cultural group to perform in Lusaka.
Nanjing Council deputy director general Zheng Ling Ling said she was looking forward to the LCC officials’ visit to China.
Acting Lusaka Mayor Potipher Tembo said the three libraries under the council, were in a bad state due to theft of books by people and lack of space and shelves.
Mr Tembo said the LCC is working on the challenges that the Lusaka, Matero and Chilenje libraries are facing.
The council is committed to improving the reading culture among the citizens, especially the youths.
He was grateful to Nanjing Municipal Council for their contribution.