China's Ambassador to Namibia, Zhao Weiping, said Beijing supports Namibia's efforts to develop its manufacturing sector and increase local value addition.

Speaking to the media on Wednesday, Zhao noted that Chinese investments do not only focus on resource extraction.

The ambassador said the Chinese government had taken note of Namibia's calls for industrialisation, modernisation, and the beneficiation of its natural resources.

The ambassador encouraged Chinese companies operating in Namibia to align their activities with the country's economic diversification agenda.

"We fully understand your aspiration for industrialisation and modernisation and, of course, value addition, which is very important for your economy. The Chinese government supports our enterprises to pay special attention to your voices in local beneficiation and value addition. We fully support that."

He also said that as time goes by, more Chinese companies may flourish in Namibia and would be compelled to focus on capacity and skills development.

The Chinese Ambassador's response followed a question about whether China's investments in Namibia would evolve from raw material extraction to include domestic processing and manufacturing.

China is one of Namibia's largest trading partners, with investments in mining, infrastructure, and construction.