Chinese Premier, Li Qiang is set to visit Zambia today, Wednesday,November 19, 2025, the first such visit in 28 years.

The modernisation of the main railway linking Zambia’s copper belt to the Dar es Salaam port in Tanzania is high on the agenda.

China has already approved a massive refurbishment of the Tanzania-Zambia (Tazara) Railway that is widely seen as a counter to the US/EU-backed Lobito Corridor.

It financed the line in the 1970s to reach Zambia’s vast copper deposits through Tanzania on Africa’s east coast and is continuing to invest as the West builds up its route to the country via Angola and the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

Zambia, which recently completed a $13.4 billion debt restructuring, is China’s largest African debtor, owing Beijing $5.7 billion. China is expected to use the visit to highlight Zambia as a model participant in President Xi Jinping’s Belt and Road Initiative and to demonstrate how African economies can rebound with Chinese support.

Li’s visit to Lusaka reflects Beijing’s push to deepen its footprint in one of Africa’s most strategic and copper-rich states, even as the United States and European Union intensify their efforts to position themselves as alternative partners.

With debt repayments now back on a sustainable path, Zambia is shifting its focus from loans to attracting large-scale investment for mining expansion, infrastructure upgrades and industrial capacity.

Across Africa, governments have increasingly shifted their focus from borrowing to attracting investment after the COVID-19 pandemic left many countries struggling with debt burdens. Zambia’s restructuring process was particularly lengthy due to the large number of Chinese lenders involved, complicating negotiations.

Despite the challenges, Chinese companies have invested about $6 billion in Zambia over the past two decades, primarily in metals and mining. They now face mounting competition from Western companies as global interest in Africa’s critical minerals surges.

Earlier this month, the European Union’s top development official visited Zambia to announce new investments in transportation, energy, agriculture and raw materials linked to the Lobito Corridor.

China, for its part, seeks to expand exports of tractors, construction machinery, and electrical equipment to Zambia. The World Bank forecasts Zambia’s economy to grow 6.5% next year, outpacing its 5% average growth over the past two decades.

Analysts say Li Qiang’s visit underscores China’s determination to retain its strategic influence. Eric Olander, Co-founder of the China-Global South Project, noted that both President Hakainde Hichilema and Chinese mining companies need political support, especially after a February incident in which a Chinese-operated copper plant leaked 50,000 cubic meters of contaminated water into the Kafue River — an issue now shaping Zambia’s election debate.

Olander added that China recently approved major refurbishment of the Tazara Railway, a line originally financed in the 1970s to connect Zambia’s copper deposits to Tanzania’s coast.

The project is widely viewed as a counterweight to the US and EU-backed Lobito Corridor, which seeks to build a competing trade route through Angola and the Democratic Republic of the Congo.