LUSAKA, July 15 (Xinhua) -- Engaging the Chinese in setting up manufacturing industries should be the way forward and a good way of enhancing China-Zambia relations that have spanned over 55 years, a Zambian expert said on Monday.
Zambia-based economist Misheck Mwanza said China has always been available for Zambia over the years and that Zambia would do well to begin to fully engage China and work at encouraging more Chinese investments particularly in the manufacturing sector.
Mwanza, who is a former diplomat and Zambia Institute of Diplomacy and International Studies (ZIDIS) immediate past director, noted that most of the engagement with China in recent years has been in infrastructure development.
"But beyond that we need to go full throttle and begin to engage the Chinese and have them establish factories and contribute to the creation of sustainable jobs so that we can have a broader spectrum of income distribution," Mwanza said.
According to him, China would also do well to consider investing in the processing of fruit juices from a host of seasonal fruits, which are organic, that needlessly go to waste across Zambia.
"Mangoes, guavas and pineapples from which fruit juices and puree can be made are in abundance. Northwestern province, for instance, has pineapples growing naturally. It would be good to establish a factory that produces canned pineapple chunks for export. Both Eastern and Western provinces have tones of mangoes that go to waste every year. These are investment opportunities," Mwanza said.
He further said there is the need to encourage investors to help revamp industries that were once vibrant and provided local communities with employment and contributed to the country's export earnings.
He also emphasized the need to encourage the Chinese to invest in outlaying areas, stating that resources are there even in the rural areas.
