Distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen, greetings

It is my privilege to stand here on behalf of the International Relations Association of Zambia to speak with you on the role of media and public diplomacy in shaping the perception of the Zambian public towards China and the Communist party of China.

Allow me to begin by extending our gratitude towards the embassy of the people’s republic of China for recognizing the impact and importance of this discussion and the necessity in setting the public’s perception right as we address the mis conceptions, misunderstandings and misguided concepts towards China-Zambia relations and China -Africa relations at large,

As a community largely influenced by oral transmission of information, we believe it is important for your embassy to understand that beyond the mainstream media, newspapers, books and social media platforms, the easiest source of information for many Zambians is in fact the words of another. These words are derived from and attached to personal experiences as they work with our Chinese counterparts. Chinese nationals in Zambia, particularly investors and business leaders, serve as informal ambassadors of your country. It is the day-to-day treatment of Zambian employees by Chinese investors that most profoundly shapes public perception of China as they are the first and sometimes, only contact that the public has with Chinese culture and the character of the Chinese people. It is therefore important that as we continue to engage in bilateral relations through various avenues, our brothers ensure that they adapt to and respect the values of our community such as upholding our traditional weekly days of worship, workers’ rights and more.

Distinguished guests, I stand here on behalf of the average citizen that many never get the chance to have your listening ear and make an appeal for the same level of mutual respect accorded to high level members of government to be replicated in the fields, on construction sites and in the industries.

Let me also note, that it is with great joy that I assure the embassy of the people’s republic of China that China’s efforts and various projects are not in vain. Throughout the years, China-Zambia relations have grown stronger and gained positive reception, through public engagements such as this one, we are able to have meaningful dialogue to shape our shared community. It is through more people-to-people engagements beyond closed doors of government offices that we control the narrative and allow China’s story to be told first hand by opening the flow for sustainable dialogue and discourse. It is our desire as an association, that the embassy will continue to trust us to present your values to the public through increased round-table events, podcast and media campaigns as these face-to-face interactions with the real information change the perspective of the public based on the positive experience shared at these events.

In May of 2022, the embassy partnered with the association to host a book-aid program, where over a 100 books on Chins and the CPC were donated to four of our top universities in Zambia, This investment in our academic community enables students to independently explore the principles, ideologies, and values that have shaped China and the Communist Party of China (CPC) into the disciplined and economically powerful society it is today. It is through such investments that the student minds will be reclaimed from preconceived notions propagated by third part voices. We would therefore like to encourage the embassy to explore this strategic step and increase efforts towards public lectures, collaboration on student led initiatives, research publications, annual conferences addressing specific projects  that the CPC intends to fund and how they will impact the community. It is multiple events structured throughout the year as opposed to isolated programs that will help shape the future generation’s positive perception of China-Zambia relations.

Beyond the academic corridors it is also important as you seek the public’s acceptance, for the embassy through various relevant organizations, to identifies areas that are massively populated by Chinese nationals and sensitizes the Zambian citizens in these spaces, orienting them on the purpose of the presence of the Chinese nationals in their communities and how both nations benefit from these shared activities.

On the continental scale, China has been a great facilitator of state-to-state interactions through platforms such as the Forum On China Africa Cooperation – FOCAC, by bringing together various heads of state from across the continent, the CPC is actively promoting unity amongst our leaders and this the narrative that should be championed.  When the relationships that are built around these events, ideas and project generated between our leaders as a result of this forum and communicated to the public, the collective perception will be positive.  When activates surrounding these events and captured in real time by political vloggers and documented by local media platforms not just through pictures and short clips, our continent will be able to appreciate the richness and intentionality of the CPC in spearheading South to South development.

Distinguished guests, it goes without mentioning that’s recent global events such as the aid freeze, have caused concern in the public’s perception of economic development through aid and compelled the general public to adopt an inward approach to income generation for sustainability and protectionism as the sudden disruption has caused insecurities and doubts about their daily lives being subject to decisions of foreign authorities. On the other hand, this also possess  an opportunity for China-Zambia relations to be strengthened as we together, revisit the purpose and potentials of aid and how it can be channeled to the benefit of both nations. By establishing centers for skills development, the Chinese government can share and promote skills and activates such as coding, robotics and manufacturing have led to their professionalism and cultural integrity, through the avenue of content creation on social media platforms these activates can be captured and displayed for the nation to appreciate the craftmanship ad creativity that makes China stand out as the production capital of the world.

It is on this note, ladies and gentlemen that I leave you with these sentiments, an improved perception will call for deliberate collaboration human capital, increased resources and modern technological investment and prudent work by each of us in order to display the profound legacy of friendship that we share as we join our hands to bring about economic development empowered by shared knowledge that bridges the gaps created by ignorance.