China Visit Shifts UPND Strategy

... As Imenda Lauds China’s Anti-Poverty Model, Calls for Stronger Party Discipline in Zambia

By Francis Maingaila 

Lusaka, Zambia24 - (July 13, 2025) — United Party for National Development (UPND) Secretary General Batuke Imenda has called on Zambians to adopt China’s disciplined approach to development and poverty alleviation, saying Zambia has a lot to learn from the Communist Party of China (CPC).

Speaking at Kenneth Kaunda International Airport shortly after returning from a CPC-funded study visit to China, Imenda said the Chinese government's success in lifting over 800 million people out of poverty was a testament to the power of strategic planning, party unity, and consistent leadership.

“This was not a trip for high-level officials only,” Imenda said. 

“We deliberately included members from the National Management Committee, provincial and district party structures so that they too could witness how targeted interventions are transforming lives in China.”

He highlighted how Chinese rural villages have been turned into model communities with modern housing, functioning infrastructure, and vibrant cultural centers, noting that even Zambia’s urban centers lag behind in comparison.

“My cousin from the Southern Province joked that if what we saw in China is called a village, then what do they call our own? That tells you the level of development they have achieved,” Imenda said.

He cited China’s two-pronged approach of poverty alleviation and economic empowerment as particularly instructive. The CPC, he explained, provides funding and infrastructure support to rural populations, helping them build thriving businesses in hospitality, agriculture, and retail. Cultural preservation is also integral to development, with cultural centers established in each village.

“In China, they believe that a people without culture are a lost civilization,” he added.

Imenda also underscored the CPC’s strict requirement that every government official must understand and align with the president’s vision before assuming office.

New appointees are required to attend CPC training colleges to study the party’s manifesto and national development plan.

“This is the discipline we are lacking here. In Zambia, many leaders do not even know what the presidential vision entails. That’s why we often see the misapplication of funds and poorly implemented projects,” he said.

He described President Hakainde Hichilema’s vision as one centered on lifting people out of poverty and urged all technocrats and party members to align their work with this goal.

On energy, Imenda praised China’s advancements in green energy and automation. 

He described how Chinese factories use robotics to manufacture solar panels—an area he said Zambia must urgently invest in.

“China is producing solar technology with speed and precision. Meanwhile, in Zambia, we are still dreaming of reviving a solar panel plant in Kapiri Mposhi,” he said, questioning the status of the project initiated by former official.

He also noted that President Hichilema intends to transform Lusaka into a regional aviation hub, capitalizing on Zambia’s central location to improve continental connectivity.

Another key takeaway from the Chinese visit, Imenda said, was their renewed focus on revitalizing the Tanzania-Zambia Railway Authority (TAZARA), which China considers a “lifeline” for the region’s economic growth—not merely a railway.

“China wants to work with us now, not under pressure as it was in the past. They are looking at TAZARA as critical to Africa’s development,” he said.

Imenda emphasized that the trip was about strengthening party-to-party relations and learning from CPC's 104-year legacy.

“The CPC believes the party is supreme and above government. The party gives the vision; government implements it. That’s the message we’ve come back with,” he said.

He concluded by urging the UPND to prioritize internal education so that members at all levels—from wards to national offices—clearly understand the party’s objectives and their role in achieving them.

“This is the vision we must implement if we are to transform Zambia,” he said.