Zambian President Edgar Lungu banks on Chinese-backed projects to help his re-election
- As Zambians prepare to head to the polls, Lungu unveils a new international airport terminal and reminds voters of his ‘legacy’
- The size of the country’s debt to China is not known, says academic, as Zambia defaults on loan repayments and Lungu is accused of mismanaging the economy
Zambia has commissioned and unveiled major Chinese-backed projects ahead of a vote on Thursday in which President Edgar Lungu is seeking re-election.
Days before the poll, Lungu unveiled the new Chinese-funded and built terminal at Kenneth Kaunda International Airport in the capital Lusaka on Monday.
China’s Export-Import Bank paid US$360 million via a government-to-government loan to construct the terminal, which was designed and built by the China Jiangxi Corporation for International Economic and Technical Cooperation.
Lungu said the new terminal would double capacity to 4 million passengers a year. “This is a testimony of the warm bilateral relations between Zambia and China,” he said.
“Our goal is to make Zambia a hub of air transport in the region,” Lungu said. “My government has also invested in the improvement of airstrips, particularly at tourism and commercial centres.”