By Sostenus Wilherm Namibia has secured fresh commitments from China to expand cooperation in critical minerals, energy, trade, infrastructure and technology following President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah’s state visit to Beijing from 5 to 11 July 2026. …
Gold price surge offsets Namibia's production drop
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·Windhoek Observer
… Speaking at the Namibia–China Business Forum in Beijing on Thursday, Nandi-Ndaitwah said Namibia’s future economic relationship with China must move beyond trade in raw materials towards investment, industrialisation, manufacturing and technology transfer. …
… Addressing the Namibia-China Business Forum in Beijing on Thursday, Nandi-Ndaitwah said Namibia is seeking partnerships that establish processing plants, manufacturing industries and technology transfer rather than exporting raw materials. …
… Nandi-Ndaitwah met representatives of Sinomine Resources Group, Lovol Agricultural Equipment, China National Chemical Engineering Corporation and the China-Africa Development Fund in Beijing on Thursday to discuss potential partnerships, industrial cooperation and investment oppo …
… We have bicycle shops in London, New York and Amsterdam and we have customers in Beijing, Copenhagen, London, New York, Berlin, Munich and Switzerland,” he said. …
… It coincided with the run-up to President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah’s state visit to Beijing from 5 to 11 July 2026 her first major bilateral engagement as Head of State and a signal of where Namibia’s foreign economic policy is heading. …
… visit, Nandi-Ndaitwah is scheduled to hold bilateral talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping, the Premier of the State Council, senior Communist Party of China leaders, as well as provincial and municipal officials in Guangdong Province (including Guangzhou and Shenzhen), Beijing …
… During the visit, the Head of State will hold high-level bilateral talks with President Xi Jinping and the Premier of the State Council, as well as engage with provincial and municipal leaders in Guangdong Province (including Guangzhou and Shenzhen), Beijing, and Sichuan Province …
… The final leg of the visit, from 9 to 10 July in Beijing, will feature “high-level bilateral meetings with president Xi and other senior Chinese leaders”. …
President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah completed a seven-day state visit to China aimed at persuading the country to help Namibia build manufacturing and processing industries rather than exporting raw minerals. The visit culminated in nine cooperation instruments and elevation of bilateral ties to a Namibia-China Community with a shared future, focusing on long-term development and strategic cooperation.
President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah completed a seven-day state visit to China aimed at persuading the country to help Namibia build manufacturing and processing industries rather than exporting raw minerals. The visit culminated in nine cooperation instruments and elevation of bilateral ties to a Namibia-China Community with a shared future, focusing on long-term development and strategic cooperation.
US President Donald Trump alleged in a primetime White House address that China interfered in the 2020 election and accessed voter data in 18 states, though the US intelligence community has previously concluded China did not interfere in that election and Trump presented no evidence of data misuse.
US President Donald Trump delivered a primetime address alleging "shocking vulnerabilities" in American voting systems and accusing China of interfering in the 2020 election and acquiring voter data from 18 states. The US intelligence community has previously concluded China did not interfere in the 2020 election, and Trump did not present evidence that China used the information to alter voting systems or influence outcomes.
During President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah's state visit to China, Meatco and the Namibian government are negotiating the resumption of beef exports to the Chinese market and exploring Chinese investment in Namibia's meat value chain.
During a State visit to Beijing, President Nandi-Ndaitwah and President Xi Jinping elevated bilateral relations and committed to cooperation through technology transfer, technical collaboration and project partnerships across trade, education, health, vocational training and other sectors, with China pledging to encourage Chinese investment and support industrialisation, agricultural modernisation and Vision 2030.
During President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah's state visit to Beijing in July, Namibia and China signed agreements and memoranda covering economic partnership, healthcare, education, green minerals, tourism and agriculture, elevating bilateral relations to a Namibia-China Community with a Shared Future for the New Era.
A powerful typhoon has made landfall in China, the second storm to hit the country in a week, with nearly two million people evacuated from affected areas. The storm has killed at least 17 people in the Philippines and triggered significant disruptions including flight cancellations and school closures across Chinese provinces.
The Namibian's editorial argues that President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah's visit to China offers an opportunity for Namibia to learn from Beijing's economic reforms in artificial intelligence, agriculture, and energy, while remaining cautious about China's record on human rights and debt practices in developing countries.
An opinion piece contends that Namibia's economy relies on extractive mining—exporting unprocessed uranium without refining, fabricating, or building reactors domestically—and that this approach represents "economic surrender" rather than an industrial policy. The author urges Namibia to treat uranium as a strategic asset and develop domestic capabilities in reactor physics and radiation safety.
President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah concluded a week-long state visit to China, with both nations agreeing to elevate bilateral relations to a "Namibia–China Community with a Shared Future for the New Era" and expanding cooperation across trade, investment, industrialisation, infrastructure, security and people-to-people exchanges.
Following President Nandi-Ndaitwah's state visit to Beijing, Namibia and China issued a joint statement committing to expanded cooperation in critical minerals including uranium, lithium and rare earth elements, with focus on local processing and value addition rather than raw material exports. The agreement also covers oil and gas, renewable energy, agriculture, infrastructure, technology transfer and skills development to support Namibia's industrialisation and economic growth.
President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah called on Chinese investors to partner with Namibia in building processing industries and creating jobs, saying the country must move beyond exporting raw minerals towards investment, industrialisation, manufacturing and technology transfer. She said Namibia's mineral deposits including uranium, diamonds, lithium, copper and rare earth minerals must be used to create greater economic benefits for Namibians.
President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah told the Namibia-China Business Forum in Beijing that Namibia seeks partnerships focused on processing plants, manufacturing, and technology transfer rather than raw material extraction. She said local beneficiation is a government priority given Namibia's mineral wealth, high unemployment, and poverty, and invited Chinese investment in processing facilities, renewable energy, agriculture, and digital infrastructure.
President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah met representatives of Sinomine Resources Group, Lovol Agricultural Equipment, China National Chemical Engineering Corporation and the China-Africa Development Fund in Beijing to discuss potential partnerships, industrial cooperation and investment opportunities aligned with Namibia's development priorities.
Former Olympian Dan Craven, who operates Onguza Bicycles out of Omaruru, launched Africa's first 32-inch bicycle range in Windhoek. Craven argues the larger wheel standard, which is emerging in mountain bike and gravel cycling markets, suits Namibian terrain and has applications for events like the Desert Dash.
China received N$3.1 billion (25.2%) of Namibia's exports in May 2026, overtaking South Africa's 18.7% share for the first time in decades. The shift coincides with President Nandi-Ndaitwah's July 2026 state visit to Beijing, which produced agreements on infrastructure, green hydrogen, agriculture, and market access.
President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah met with Guangdong province leadership on Monday as part of her official state visit to China, with both sides expressing confidence the visit would deepen bilateral relations. The president chose Guangzhou as her entry point because of its economic importance and to create opportunities for Namibia's business delegation.
President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah arrived in Guangzhou for a state visit to China from 5–11 July 2026 at the invitation of President Xi Jinping, to strengthen the bilateral Comprehensive Strategic Cooperative Partnership. The visit includes meetings with senior Chinese leaders and discussions on cooperation in trade, investment, mining, renewable energy, green hydrogen, manufacturing, agriculture, and other areas aligned with Namibia's development priorities.
President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah has arrived in Guangzhou for an official state visit to China from 5 to 11 July 2026, at the invitation of President Xi Jinping. The visit aims to deepen economic cooperation and bilateral relations between the two countries.
President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah is departing for China on Saturday for a week-long state visit (6–10 July) at the invitation of President Xi Jinping, aimed at strengthening bilateral ties and cooperation in trade, investment, renewable energy, agriculture, education, and other sectors. The visit includes industry visits in Guangzhou and Shenzhen, agricultural engagements in Chengdu, and high-level bilateral meetings in Beijing.
President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah will undertake a State Visit to China from 5 to 11 July 2026 at the invitation of President Xi Jinping, aimed at deepening cooperation in trade, investment, industrialisation and strategic development sectors. The visit will include high-level talks with Chinese leaders and provincial authorities, with discussions focusing on mining, renewable energy, green hydrogen, manufacturing, agriculture and digital innovation.
Windhoek's infrastructure cannot keep pace with migration from rural areas and other towns, creating housing backlogs and informal settlements. The government lacks a clearly defined central budget to address this market failure, leaving the city to absorb a national demand with local resources.
A book titled 'No Obstacle is Too Great to Overcome,' written by Frank Gschwender, was launched in Windhoek documenting the stories of Namibian Paralympians and their support staff. The launch coincided with the 10th anniversary of the Sport on the Move Foundation, which has supported Namibia's para-athletes, who have won 12 medals over the past 18 years.
An analysis piece argues that the 2026 FIFA World Cup, jointly hosted by the United States, Canada, and Mexico with forty-eight participating nations, faces a fundamental contradiction: its universalist ideals of global celebration are undermined by immigration and border restrictions in the host countries, raising questions about sovereignty, soft power, and international order.
A high-level Namibian delegation, led by the Green Hydrogen Programme and supported by the Global Wind Energy Council, is visiting China to study renewable energy solutions and industrial development, with focus on wind power, solar energy, battery storage, and fuel cells. The visit aims to help Namibia reduce electricity imports, build local energy supply, and eventually become a green energy exporter.
China's foreign ministry said three Chinese vessels recently transited the Strait of Hormuz following coordination with relevant parties, after shipping through the crucial waterway had slowed dramatically due to Iran's effective blockade during Middle East conflict. Iran considers the strait open to "friendly countries" and maintains diplomatic ties with China.
Oil prices surged above US$106 a barrel as conflict in the region disrupted shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, prompting the International Energy Agency to coordinate the release of strategic oil reserves across Asia, Europe, and North America. Global energy ministers are meeting to address soaring prices and discuss measures including price caps and military operations to reopen critical shipping routes.
Air China will resume direct flights between Beijing and Pyongyang from 30 March, marking a reopening of travel links after strict border closures since 2020. The weekly Monday service follows the restart of passenger train services last week, though North Korea remains cautious about allowing Western tourists.
The US is moving parts of its Thaad anti-missile system from South Korea to the Middle East amid the Israel-Iran conflict, reportedly to bolster defences as Iranian strikes strain weapons inventory. The redeployment has prompted South Korea's president to publicly oppose the move, citing concerns for Seoul's deterrence capability, while China reiterated its longstanding opposition to Thaad's presence in the region.
The US has launched a Section 301 investigation into unfair trade practices by major trading partners including China, the EU, India, Japan, South Korea and Mexico, potentially leading to new tariffs by summer. The probe follows a Supreme Court ruling that struck down Trump's previous tariff policies and offers the administration a way to impose new levies on countries found to have engaged in unfair trade.