Chongqing - From June 29 to July 1, the Ambassador's Lounge Zambia Special Session was successfully held in Chongqing. The high-profile, three-day event welcomed a delegation of officials from the Zambian Embassy in China for an intensive journey of economic, trade, and cultural exploration. The trip helped break down information barriers, clarify policies, and make it much easier for local businesses to connect directly with opportunities in Zambia.
To align market supply with demand, the Zambian delegation kicked off their visit with targeted field research across Chongqing's industrial enterprises. On-site visits to WEMA Agricultural Machinery, China Merchants Communications Technology (Chongqing) Limited, and Chongqing Southern Flame-Retardant Wire and Cable enabled the diplomats to explore high-potential sectors such as modern agriculture and infrastructure. The tour offered the delegation a firsthand look at Chongqing's advanced manufacturing capabilities and highlighted its massive market potential for Zambia's ongoing development.
During the tours, Zambian officials highly praised the city's smart agricultural machinery, noting its potential to boost crop yields and mitigate climate challenges like drought back home. Highlighting these engineering capabilities, Zhao Lingdong of China Merchants Communications Technology (Chongqing) Limited noted that, as a globally renowned "Bridge Capital," Chongqing hopes to bring its proven bridge and tunnel technologies to Zambia to support Zambia's infrastructure development.
The event also featured a specialized symposium held at the Chongqing Qianxin Foreign Trade and Economic Cooperation Group, bringing the embassy delegation together with nearly 30 leading local enterprises for direct, face-to-face dialogues.
Zambian officials delivered a detailed presentation on the nation's investment environment, emphasizing a soaring demand for partnerships in green energy and mineral processing as the country accelerates its industrialization. Chongqing enterprises shared their well-established footprints in the African nation, including a 16-year history in geological exploration and emerging joint vocational-chemical projects.
Beyond trade figures, the tour fostered meaningful cultural connections. The delegates immersed themselves in the unique charm of the mountain city, visiting the Chongqing Planning Exhibition Hall and experiencing iconic urban landscapes like the monorail through a building, as well as the deepest subway station in China-Hongyancun Station of the CRT. Impressed by the advanced facilities, smooth operations, and subtle artistic elements integrated into the transit layout, the delegation called the transit network an operational marvel that enriches every visitor's experience.
By leveraging regular exchange mechanisms and strategically revitalizing the TAZARA Railway, both sides are poised to co-create a dynamic new era of China-Africa industrial integration.
(Nancy Ebong, as an intern, also contributed to this report.)