(Bloomberg) -- Namibia, one of the world’s largest uranium producers, is seeking investment from China in nuclear power to boost its role in the global push to clean energy.
“We want to add value to our uranium for the peaceful development of nuclear energy,” President Nangolo Mbumba said Monday during a meeting with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, who is on a week-long visit to Africa.
Yi’s visit reinforces China’s determination to win the geo-economic race against the US in Africa by offering better trade terms, more investment and military training. It also comes on the back of last year’s Forum on China-Africa Cooperation.
In September, China General Nuclear Power Group formed a joint venture with NamWater to build a $3 billion Namibian dollar ($161 million) desalination plant that will supply water to uranium mines and surrounding areas.
Chinese companies already own Husab and Rossing in Namibia, the world’s No. 2 and No. 6 uranium mines and have invested in gold operations in the country.
The arid southwest African nation is also aiming to expand cooperation with China in emerging technologies, including smart cities, 5G, and digital platforms focused on urban security, crime prevention, and traffic management.
Namibia also wants to tap China’s growing outbound tourism market, and is seeking investment for the upgrade and construction of a new international airport.
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