President Edgar Chagwa Lungu of Zambia has applauded and acknowledged the excellent and friendly historical relations that exist between Zambia and China, and has added that they are based on equality and mutual respect.
How true?
To say that Zambia has become a colony of China is indeed an understatement. Through the bait of providing loans to improve infrastructure, China has taken base in Zambia and has continued to carry out its pernicious activities in the country.
Proof 1
Last year, there was tension in the country after the police swore in new reserve officers who were Chinese nationals and had rights to arrest citizens of Zambia in Zambia! The eight officers were presented to the public wearing the Zambian police uniforms.
An outcry forced the police department to remove them from duty.
Proof 2
Kenyan legal luminary and renowned Pan-Africanist was denied entry into Zambia over a China-Africa lecture.
It was reported by Africa Confidential that the country was on the verge of losing its electricity company ZESCO to China after defaulting on loan repayment.
The report further indicated that the national broadcaster ZNBC was already being run by the Chinese. The government denied the allegations and vowed to take legal action.
Proof 3
Two Chinese nationals were arrested last week in Livingstone for taking nine Zambians wearing military fatigue through an illegal military training.
The 11 suspects were in possession of one pistol, seven shotguns and one big air gun with a box containing shotgun ammunition, reported local media Lusaka Times.
The nine Zambians were reported to be members of a private security firm and were wearing uniforms that looked similar to those of the National Parks and Wildlife Authority.
The Southern Province Police Commissioner, Bonnie Kapeso said in a statement that the Chinese trainers had imported the military fatigue from China.
The police said they didn’t have any authorisation to conduct training without clearance from the police and the matter would be investigated.
Proof 4
Zambia’s state-owned newspaper published an article in Chinese language Mandarin.
State-owned Times of Zambia newspaper made matters worse when they published an article in the Chinese language Mandarin for its millions of readers who speak either English or the over half a dozen official languages of Zambia.
The Chinese article was titled ‘We’ve still got it’ and it was written by one Steven Zande. It is reported that the article was a translation of the English version of a story on the front page about President Edgar Lungu’s vow to uphold national interests in his dealings with foreign investors.
The article created the expected uproar and outrage especially when the public was dealing with the fear of a takeover.
The Information Minister and chief government spokesperson Dora Siliya quickly explained on Twitter that the Chinese story was a business strategy to increase revenue and tap into the Chinese advertising market.
“Times of Zambia aiming to increase revenue by targeting Chinese market. Today’s edition has a Chinese version of top story. They want to tap into Chinese advertising. Who moved my cheese? Times of Zambia responding,” she tweeted.
If the media goes in that direction, then the Chinese will control information, education and entertainment as their government does in Beijing and all of China.
Credit: African exponent
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