Botswana’s often on-and-off relationship with China is back blossoming again – with new leader Mokgweetsi Masisi set to visit China in September, shortly after foreign Minister Unity Dow returned from Beijing in July. This new romance ends a decade of frosty relations which at the height of the fall-out saw Beijing extremely angered at the treatment of their people locally and desperately fought off an attempt by Gaborone to host Dalai Lama –the Tibet spiritual leader who is at odds with China for trying to seek independence for his homeland. Dalai Lama fall out Former President Ian Khama was irked by the Chinese’s poor workmanship which resulted with failure to deliver critical projects on time and within budget, including Shakawe Senior Secondary school, the expansion of Sir Seretse Khama International Airport terminal, the Fengyue Glass project in Palapye and Morupule B power station among many others. Khama also did not take kindly to attempts by Beijing to dictate terms of how Botswana should associate with others. Khama retorted that Botswana was not China’s colony at the back of the fall-out over Dalai Lama. While eventually he did not come to Botswana, the country had demonstrated its seriousness of going against…