STORY: Zambian officials on upcoming FOCAC summit 
SHOOTING TIME: Aug. 20-26, 2024
DATELINE: Sept. 1, 2024
LENGTH: 00:01:30
LOCATION: Lusaka
CATEGORY: POLITICS

SHOTLIST:
1. various of cooperation between China and African countries
2. SOUNDBITE 1 (English): CHIPOKA MULENGA, Zambian Minister of Commerce, Trade and Industry
3. SOUNDBITE 2 (English): JOHNSTONE CHIKWANDA, Chairman of the Energy Institute of Zambia
4. SOUNDBITE 3 (English): TREVOR HAMBAYI, Zambian economist

STORYLINE:

There is no doubt that the forthcoming Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) will take mutually beneficial cooperation between China and Africa to another level, said Zambian experts and officials.

The 2024 FOCAC Summit will be held in Beijing from Sept. 4-6 under the theme of "Joining Hands to Advance Modernization and Build a High-Level China-Africa Community with a Shared Future."

SOUNDBITE 1 (English): CHIPOKA MULENGA, Zambian Minister of Commerce, Trade and Industry
"Yes, that is the reason why you see that we'll be sitting together between Africa and the People's Republic of China. Because it is a strengthened relationship. We want to learn from the Chinese. The Chinese can also learn from us. We have got the resources they do not have. They have the skill, they have the technology, they have the capital, and we need that. So there should be success for everyone and there should be benefit for everyone. And that's the reason why we see us interacting."

SOUNDBITE 2 (English): JOHNSTONE CHIKWANDA, Chairman of the Energy Institute of Zambia
"It is going to be a FOCAC that will leave Africa never the same. Especially that this is the first one (summit) coming in the post-COVID era. And there is a lot of catching-up which needs to be done. Obviously, everyone is expectant to see how it has performed and what the way is forward after this FOCAC."

SOUNDBITE 3 (English): TREVOR HAMBAYI, Zambian economist
"This (FOCAC) has totally strengthened the relationship that Africa has with China. If you appreciate the last 10, 15 years, (the takeaway) is that the major development that has happened in the last 20 years, the major development that has happened on the African continent has come from financing, that has come in terms of infrastructure."

Xinhua News Agency correspondents reporting from Lusaka.
(XHTV)