China and Namibia announced that they are elevating their bilateral relationship to a “China-Namibia community with a shared future for the new era,” following talks between Presidents Xi Jinping and Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah in Beijing on Friday, July 10.
Xi said the two countries have treated each other as equals since establishing diplomatic ties, with cooperation continuing to deepen and deliver tangible benefits to both peoples. He proposed deeper high-level exchanges, expanded use of Namibia’s zero-tariff export access to China, and broader cooperation in infrastructure, energy, mining, agriculture and science.
Xi also pledged to continue to help African nations, including Namibia, translate their mineral wealth into development momentum toward Africa’s modernization based on the principles of mutual benefit and win-win cooperation; conducting friendly consultation to properly resolve issues through communication and consultation; and exploring new approaches in accordance with market-oriented and commercial principles, with a view to upgrading the quality of China-Africa cooperation in the mining sector.
Nandi-Ndaitwah affirmed Namibia’s adherence to the “One China” principle and said her country welcomes further Chinese investment in industry, mining, infrastructure, aviation and agriculture. The two sides signed cooperation documents spanning trade, healthcare, education and human resources, and issued a joint statement formalizing the upgraded partnership.
The announcement builds on a longstanding relationship between the two nations, including China’s backing of Namibia’s independence struggle from the 1960s onward, and establishment of diplomatic relations on March 22, 1990—the day after Namibia’s independence was declared. Ties were upgraded to a comprehensive strategic partnership in 2018.
Mining remains central to the economic relationship: the Husab mine, developed by a subsidiary of the state-owned China General Nuclear Power Company, ranks among Beijing’s largest single investments anywhere in Africa, while the China National Uranium Corporation’s acquisition of a controlling stake in the Rössing uranium mine, formerly owned by colonial looting mechanism Rio Tinto, further cemented China’s position as the dominant foreign partner in Namibia’s uranium sector. China remains Namibia’s largest source of foreign direct investment and one of its top trading partners.
President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah’s trip to Beijing is her first visit to China or anywhere outside of Africa since assuming the presidency in 2025, underscoring the importance of the China-Namibia relationship.
