On 17th March, 2022, the state funeral of Mr. Rupiah Bwezani Banda, the fourth president of Zambia, president of the Zambia China Friendship Association, was held at the Lusaka Show Grounds. President of Zambia Mr. Hichilema, President of Namibia, the President of Zimbabwe, the former President of Botswana, Tanzania, Malawi, Mozambique and other African political leaders and representatives of the African Union attended the mourning ceremony. President Banda died of illness on the evening of 11th March, 2022, at the age of 85. Mr. Li Tie, the President of Zambia Council for Promotion of Peaceful National Reunification of China (ZCPPNRC), Executive Deputy Secretary General of the Zambia China Friendship Association (ZCFA), and Chairman of CAMCO Group , was invited to attend the memorial ceremony for President Banda.
President Banda served as Vice President of Zambia in October 2006, and served as President of Zambia from October 2008 to September 2011. He firmly supported the China politically, and further consolidated and developed the friendly and cooperative relations between the China and Zambia. In terms of economic and trade cooperation, he supported enterprises from China to invest in Zambia, creating a good investment environment. In terms of cultural exchanges, the Chinese language teaching and the promotion of the Chinese cultures have been promoted, and the people-to-people and cultural exchanges and cooperation among the China and Zambia have been enhanced.
As one of the founder of the Zambia China Friendship Association, Mr. Li Tie, serves as the Executive Deputy Secretary General and he had the opportunity to work with President Banda, the first President of Zambia China Friendship Association. His peaceful, optimistic and open-minded attitude towards life touched everyone around him. In January 2022, President Li Tie visited President Banda together with members of the Zambia China Friendship Association and discussed the work arrangements of the Association.
President Banda was also a patron of the Zambia Council for Promotion of Peaceful National Reunification of China. In November 2021, President Li Tie with the members of the Zambia Council for Promotion of Peaceful National Reunification of China to visit President Banda and thanked him for his firm support for the One China policy.
Zambia Council for Promotion of Peaceful National Reunification of China and CAMCO Group will inherit the spirit of friendship and cooperation between the China and Zambia advocated by President Banda and continue to promote the economic, trade, cultural and non-governmental exchanges between two countries, so that the friendship between two countries and their peoples will be passed from generation to generation.
