On 24th July 2020, Ambassador Dr. Zhao Yanbo gave a telephone interview to Duma FM on China’s economic recovery and China-Botswana practical cooperation.

Ambassador Zhao said that with a series of coordinated policies and measures to strengthen pandemic prevention and control as well as economic and social development taking effect, China has effectively contained the spread of the virus while major economic indicators rebound significantly. China's economy grew by 3.2% in the second quarter of 2020, making China the first major economy to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic. During a recent symposium with entrepreneurs, Chinese president Xi Jinping made it clear that relief measures including cutting taxes, fees, rents and interest rates should directly benefit market entities. He also stressed that China should form a new development pattern with the domestic cycle as the main body and the domestic and international dual cycles mutually promoting each other, which pointed out the direction towards a continued prosperous economy.

Ambassador Zhao said that last month, the Ministry of Finance and Economic Development of Botswana issued a draft plan for economic recovery and transformation, which put forward many good strategies for post-pandemic economic development. Under the current situation, Botswana may put emphasis on the development of infrastructure, agriculture, tourism and digital economy to stabilize economy and protect people's livelihood. China will work with Botswana to jointly implement the outcomes of the Extraordinary China-Africa Summit on Solidarity against COVID-19 by supporting Botswana’s response to COVID-19 and expanding practical cooperation in such areas as infrastructure, public health, trade, digital economy, 5G and new energy so as to help Botswana overcome economic and social challenges during and after COVID-19.