Editorial: The lessons Namibia must learn from China
For decades, Namibia has proudly proclaimed China as its "all-weather friend" - a phrase that evokes political solidarity more than anything else. Yet, when it comes to the one arena that truly determines a nation’s development trajectory - ownership and control of natural resources - the lessons from China remain largely unheeded.
China’s rise from a poor agrarian society to the world’s second-largest economy is no accident. It is a direct result of deliberate, state-driven policies that prioritised national ownership of strategic assets. From oil and gas to minerals and rare earths, the Chinese state has maintained majority stakes in key industries, using the dividends not only to grow the economy but to transform the lives of its people. The state did not stand on the sidelines while foreign investors carved up its wealth. Instead, it took centre stage - setting the rules, owning the resources.
Namibia, by contrast, continues to operate as a bystander in its own economy. In mining, oil exploration, and other high-value sectors, the state often holds minority shares, while foreign companies dominate ownership and decision-making. These so-called partnerships tend to leave the country with crumbs, while foreign shareholders walk away with the loaf itself.
This model is unsustainable - and it is indefensible in a country that boasts a long-standing friendship with one of the most strategically self-sufficient nations on earth.
If Namibia truly values its relationship with China, it is time to go beyond the optics of handshakes and photo ops. It is time to extract practical lessons. China has never confused diplomacy with dependency. Its global engagements are firmly anchored in national interest. Namibia must do the same.
China’s rise from a poor agrarian society to the world’s second-largest economy is no accident. It is a direct result of deliberate, state-driven policies that prioritised national ownership of strategic assets. From oil and gas to minerals and rare earths, the Chinese state has maintained majority stakes in key industries, using the dividends not only to grow the economy but to transform the lives of its people. The state did not stand on the sidelines while foreign investors carved up its wealth. Instead, it took centre stage - setting the rules, owning the resources.
Namibia, by contrast, continues to operate as a bystander in its own economy. In mining, oil exploration, and other high-value sectors, the state often holds minority shares, while foreign companies dominate ownership and decision-making. These so-called partnerships tend to leave the country with crumbs, while foreign shareholders walk away with the loaf itself.
This model is unsustainable - and it is indefensible in a country that boasts a long-standing friendship with one of the most strategically self-sufficient nations on earth.
If Namibia truly values its relationship with China, it is time to go beyond the optics of handshakes and photo ops. It is time to extract practical lessons. China has never confused diplomacy with dependency. Its global engagements are firmly anchored in national interest. Namibia must do the same.
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