BEYOND ‘ECONOMIC DIPLOMACY’
THE historical background, of Zambia’s foreign policy, has evolved over time from; liberation diplomacy, during the Kaunda administration, liberal democracy and free-market economy, during the Chiluba Administration, the fight against Corruption, and completion point of Highly Indebted Poor Country’s status ( HIPC), during the Mwanawasa Administration’s “New Deal,” over 6-7 percent GDP Economic Growth, during the Banda Administration, and Economic Diplomacy, for both, Presidents, late Michael Sata and Lungu’s Administrations, respectively.
In order for Zambia’s “Economic Diplomacy”, to be effective, we need Economic Intelligence (EI). Economic Intelligence, is defined as information gathering about materials and resources that are developed, produced, or managed outside Zambia, for interpretation of raw information or unpublished data, to reports or analyses that inform our diplomatic policy making and consumers, for industrialisation diplomacy. (Shimunza, 2021).
Zambia’s current “Economic Diplomacy” must be revisited, as our foreign policy. It should be more than just a quest for trade balances or making economic deals, with the outside world, based on Foreign Direct Investments (FDIs). It needs a greater vision and ambition, as it were.
The domestic policy perspective of any sovereign state, determines invariably, the foreign policy of any Presidency. Our sovereign power, determines our projection of the country on the global stage.
How can Zambia, a third World country, engage First World countries? Can the balance of trade, be free trade? Our engagements with the United States of America, must be more on technology transfer, to build an aggressive industrialisation agenda, as our foreign policy.
The Balance of trade, and payments, on government to government basis is ideal. America, as the only remaining super power in the world today, requires that we re-direct our foreign policy, urgently.
Furthermore, Zambia must tap into the American foreign policy, in the geo-political square of the 21st Century. The author, Bremmer, (2015), in his book “Superpower three Choices for America’s Role in the World” contends for the role of the (USA) in the World. America will foster three aspects; Independent of global leadership, Money ball, for the global economy, indispensable, as champion of freedoms of democracy. Zambia must fit well, our economic diplomacy, which America we want, to deal with? Industrialization diplomacy, is more specific.
China, presents another global diplomatic challenge. How does our economic diplomacy, fit with China, an arch rival of America? Zambia can play smart, by engaging both, for industrialization diplomacy, rather than perpetuate the existing differences of their geo-politics and economic vicious rivalry. Cooperation, is more ideal, than rivalry of America and Chinese trade wars.
In, When China rules the World, the End of the Western World and the Birth of a New Global Order, (Jacques, 2021), Presents this stark reality of this rivalry. How Zambia under the New Dawn Administration, deals with China, will determine our geo-political balance or imbalance. China, is not exporting its Communist politics, but its liberal economy. The economic industrialisation of Zambia, must be the goal of our economic diplomacy, not just (FDI) in all sectors, especially
Mining and Agriculture industries. Industrialisation diplomacy, is the key for Zambia-China relations.
The European Union (EU), presents new opportunities for Zambia’s IndustrialisationdDiplomacy, not just cutting economic (FDI) deals, as an alternative. Our effective engagement, demands that we set our “globalisation” agenda, for that is the value system of the Eurozone States. Only a First World agenda, fits well with the (EU’s) globalisation agenda.
How does Zambia play her global game, if we are weak at home, and in the region? We must become an economic powerhouse. That is why, the Movement for National Transformation (MNT), advocates for an aggressive First World Zambia, transformation and industrialisation agenda.
The African Union (AU), Southern African Development Community (SADC), and Common Markets for East and Southern Africa (COMESA), require Zambia’s strategic multi-lateral and bilateral diplomacy, to be industrialisation re-focused.
Our land-linked position, and centrality, provides us great opportunities for intra-African trade. The current formation of (AU) is weak, needing reforms to represent Africa well, globally. We need both soft and hard power diplomacy, for Africa to rise.
The First World industrialisation agenda, is the most effective way of promoting effective engagement, with the African Continental Free Trade Area (ACFTA). We must build our sovereign capacity, to regional influence, and then continental greatness strategically, before asserting ourselves, as a first world powerhouse in the 21st Century.
This is what industrialisation diplomacy, is all about. We must build our; macro –economics fundamentals, communications, military, markets, and science and technological capabilities, urgently.
The United Nations (UN), has been very biased against African countries. The Security Council, has been overly protective of the status quo of the advanced First World countries, because of their industrialised status.
South Africa and Nigeria, only have “observer status” in the Security Council, sadly. The G-8 or 7, without arrogant Russia, because of rogue attacks of Ukraine and Georgia, unilaterally, leaves Africa without veto power. Africa, and Zambia, must earn our place among the greats.
According to the United Nations Population Report for 2021, Over 1.4 billion Africans, constituting 16.72 percent of the global population, are unrepresented in the body that claims to stand for global peace, security, and equality of nations.
We must assert our industrialisation multi-lateral diplomacy, for Industrialisation to earn our claim of the veto power of the Security Council. Our Presidency, must be respected in the community of nations, because of our national sovereign power and capacity, never to be ignored again.
We must learn from the likes of India and China, and develop our own unique contextualised development agenda, with long term focus. Democracy, science, and information computer technology, and effective money markets, are the key sectors of focus in the Industrialisation diplomacy. This is more specific, than a generalised goal for “economic diplomacy.”
The only difference between China and India, is their politics. In the other aspects of science and technology, markets, they are both advancing to First World status. Sub-Saharan Africa, is still in Third World mediocrity.
The other Asian Tigers, the likes of; Singapore, United Arab Emirates (UAE), South Korea, and Malaysia, are becoming First World fast. We must have transformative leadership that thinks outside the box, at home and abroad. Mediocrity, and relative developments won’t do.
Israel, and Zambia as a Christian nation, must build serious diplomatic relations. It is the best model of a start-up nation, built on Small Medium Enterprises (SMEs).
Every year, Israel produces over 50, 000 patents in various fields. We can exploit the possibilities of building strong inward-looking policies, by learning from Israel. We can’t have a strong foreign policy, if we are weak at home. Building a first world domestic policy, is non-negotiable. This fits well, with the new dawns’ agenda for the Green Economy and (SMEs) ministries, respectively
The Covenant of God, with biblical Abrahamic accords, as stated in (Genesis 12:1-4), will determine, how God blesses or curses nations, in these last days. It is therefore, diplomatic wisdom, for nay Presidency, to review their relations with Israel.
Goat nations, will hate Israel, while Sheep nations that honour God, will protect Israel (Matthew 25:1-46). Zambia must not be among the goat nations against Israel.
Biblical Prophecy, will never fail, about those nations, who bless Israel. Partly, the Kaunda Administration, in the early (1970s) chased the Jews and our economy declined. The new dawn administration, must be careful, how they deal with Israel. We need an embassy of Israel, right here in Zambia.
Going forward, it will be folly and diplomatic suicide, to ignore God’s foreign policy about Israel, for a Christian nation, based on revealed prophecies of the Lord, in the Bible.
The post-Covid-19, global diplomatic relations, will require Diplomatic Intelligence (DI), for Zambia to pull through to First World pharmaceutical status. The world order, has shifted from the West, to the East, in the 21st Century.
Power, is shifting hands with the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation/Alliance (NATO), current existential threats with Russia, around Ukraine, which requires diplomatic serious engagements. This could change the global world order, by hard diplomacy. Zambia, must learn from applying soft power, and hard power diplomacy, in all this.
Conclusively, Zambia must revisit our “Economic Diplomacy,” which is too general, to be more specifically, about industrialisation diplomacy, not mere (FDIs). We must go beyond foreign direct investments deals, to build a more sustainable development agenda, which has home-grown solutions, for building long term sovereign capacity in the; nation, region, and global spheres, respectively. Can we be a First World nation? Yes we can.
• The auhor is MNT founding president for a First World Zambia ideology.
