Mozambique, in coordination with the National Development and Reform Commission of China, is in an advanced process of evaluating priority projects already selected for subsequent financing in the areas of infrastructure, energy, transport, agriculture and industrial parks, among others, announced the ambassador of Mozambique to China.
Aires Ali said, in an interview published in the summer edition of the Forum Macau magazine, that Mozambique is open to receiving Chinese funding either in commercial, public-private partnership or in the form of donations.
The Mozambican ambassador also considered that the People’s Republic of China is a strategic partner for the development process of Mozambique, particularly in infrastructure and energy projects, taking into account the experience and capacity it has in terms of cutting-edge technology, resources investments and know-how.
Aires Ali also said in the interview that China, being a strategic partner of Mozambique, can financially support the improvement of rail and port infrastructures in the three main development corridors (Maputo, Beira and Nacala) that allow access to the sea by hinterland countries, such as Zambia, Malawi, Zimbabwe and Swaziland.
The Mozambican diplomat also said that Mozambique intends to build new rail and port infrastructures, such as the Macese and Techobanine port project, linking Botswana, South Africa, Swaziland and Mozambique and the Beira-Machipanda railway line, which connects Mozambique and Zimbabwe.
Aires Ali also said that “it is a concern of the Government of Mozambique to mobilize resources to improve the existing infrastructure in these corridors, in order to respond to new demand, resulting from its intensive use in the transportation and handling of diverse cargo, which includes the export of products from the new discoveries in Mozambique, namely mineral coal, gas, among others and the import of diverse goods for consumption and for the development of industry in Mozambique and in the hinterland countries.”
“As you can see, these are projects that require major financing and, once again, China being Mozambique’s strategic partner participates in them,” he said.
The ambassador stated that there are encouraging results of Sino-Mozambican cooperation with regard to rice production in Gaza Province (Project Wanbao in Xai-xai and Rego do Chókwè) and also revealed that there are other projects in the pipeline on planting the rice in Sofala province and on agro-processing in Mozambique.
“Mozambique can take advantage of the initiative of China – One Belt, One Route – by creating industrial parks, building access roads, connecting production centers and marketing and consumption centers (…) promoting the value chain for products Mozambicans, through the transfer of technologies and promoting the employment and well-being of the Mozambican population,” he concluded.