China only wants to help Zambia

China only wants to help Zambia
Radio Netherlands - Netherlands
by Jacqueline Maris in Lusaka* In Zambia, Mr Li is the face of the world's fastest-growing superpower: he signs oil deals, builds hospitals and highways, sells merchandise, takes over companies and lays oil pipelines ... The large trees in front of the Chinese embassy in Lusaka were long an irritation to Ambassador Li. So early one morning four shabby-looking Zambians pulled a rope from the other side of the street while a fifth cut the metre-thick giant with a chain-saw. The tree then crashed to earth with a thundering blow. Mr Li watched approvingly from his white limousine ... After Mr Li makes a number of phone calls to Mr Bo, Mr Yan and Mr Wang he finally manages to convince Mr Chow to grant an interview. He has brought along two silent but smiling helpers. He then points: "You sit there." The correspondent must sit on the other side of an enormous table ... He tells his listeners that China and Zambia are good friends and that Beijing only wants to help China. Zambia's first president, Kenneth Kaunda is nearly 84 and has been a vegetarian since 1953. Every day he jogs around his estate in slow motion. After taking office in 1964 KK - as his people affectionately call him - went to visit Mao the Great Helmsman along with President Julius Nyerere of neighbouring Tanzania ... The former president says he did not copy Chinese communism but developed a humanistic Socialism with free universal education and health care. In outlying regions he built roads and factories which produced bicycles, bottles and canned pineapple. Everything was financed by copper revenues. He also introduced the Kaunda suit, which was remarkably similar to the Mao suit ... China helped Zambia build an 1,800-kilometre-long railway to the Tanzanian port of Dar es Salaam. Mr Chow emphasises that China was a poor country when it helped Zambia build the railroad. In 1998 China purchased the Chambishi mine. Mr Chow says that even though the price of copper has risen the mine is still not making a profit.