The Minister of Health and Social Services, Dr. Kalumbi Shangula, briefed the media this afternoon on the rise of respiratory illnesses among children in northern China.

The Ministry is actively investigating and implementing preventive measures, emphasising public vigilance and prompt medical attention.

In his media briefing, Dr. Shangula reassured the Namibians, stating that the ongoing COVID-19 and influenza surveillance activities have not identified an increase in respiratory infections or associated hospitalisations or deaths in Namibia.

China and Namibia continue to strengthen bilateral trade.

The two nations trade volumes reached N$18.2 billion, an increase of 29% compared to last year.

China and Namibia have built strong economic, infrastructural, and trade relations over the years, with a number of Chinese companies taking advantage of Namibia's favourable business environment and investment opportunities.

Last year, the total trade between Namibia and China stood at N$22.1 billion.

The Executive Director in the Ministry of Industrialization and Trade, Sikongo Haihambo, says this represents an increase of 28.1% compared to the previous year.

Haihambo, who was speaking at the China-Namibia Business Network in Windhoek, says China is one of Namibia's leading trading partners in the world, falling to third position in terms of exports and second position in the top countries Namibia imports from.

Namibia and China collaborated to host the China Economic and Trade Cooperation Opportunity Forum in Changsha, China.

The conference aims to share investment and trade opportunities that exist in Namibia and promote the country as a potential investment destination in targeted sectors such as mining, energy, agriculture, and manufacturing.

It is hosted on the sidelines of the China-Africa Economics and Trade Expo and is led by Namibia's Embassy in China, supported by the Namibia Investment Promotion and Development Board.

The past few days have seen controversial reports on Namibia allegedly trying to push for VISA exemption for Chinese passport holders.

The Chinese Ambassador to Namibia, Zhao Weiping, clears up some of these misunderstandings.

Namibia and China's mutual visa exemption agreement discussions started in 2019, when both sides agreed to pursue visa exemptions for their nationals, according to Chinese Ambassador Zhao Weiping.

The Jiangsu Province in China continues to make significant progress in the media industry, particularly in documenting history and showcasing Chinese modernization to both residents and visitors.

Both large and small media houses in Jiangsu Province play significant roles in preserving the region's norms and values while evolving their own media platforms for future generations.

Media houses, including those in the electronic, print, and radio sectors, maintain historical artefacts dating back to the colonial era.

Cooperation between China and Namibia to enhance small and medium enterprises in the country can be a gateway for economic growth and help tackle high unemployment rates.

This is the sentiment of Sakeus Ikela, a representative of Namibian youth at the 7th China-Africa Youth Festival currently underway in Beijing.

The week-long youth festival will see young African leaders from 49 African countries engage with officials from different industries.

They will also visit different sites and exchange views.

China is the latest country to express interest in Namibia's renewable energy industry, particularly the development of Green Hydrogen.

Administrator at the National Energy Administration of China, Zhang Jianhua paid a courtesy call on President Hage Geingob at the State House.

Dr. Geingob says Namibia remains open to investors from across the world for the development of the new green hydrogen and synthetic fuels industry.

China has already approved more than 455 gigawatts of wind and solar PV projects, to be located in desert regions.

The US Ambassador to Namibia, Randy Berry has dismissed claims that the recent high-level visits by US officials are aimed at countering the growing influence of China and Russia on the African continent.

Of late, the African continent has seen high-level visits from the top echelons of the US government amid geo-political tensions between the US, China and Russia.

Earlier this month, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken visited Niger where he announced USD150 million in direct assistance to Africa's Sahel region.

With a high unemployment rate and millions of people in poverty on the African continent, the industrial chain and enhancing the added value of African products is the main focus between China and Africa to tackle these economic challenges.

China managed to improve the lives of its people from poverty through carefully thought-out policy implementation. 

The ingredients are growth in agriculture productivity, progressive industrialization, management of urbanization as well as the expansion of infrastructure investment.