Chinese President, Xi Jinping wound-up his two-day visit to Harare with President Robert Mugabe saying his visit had culminated in the strengthening and deepening of political and economic relations between the two countries.
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Vice Presidents Emmerson Mnangagwa and Phelekezela Mphoko, service chiefs and several senior Government officials were also at the airport to bid farewell to the Chinese leader.
Mr Xi is in Zimbabwe until Wednesday before heading to South Africa for a forum on cooperation between Africa and China as he works to strengthen ties with this continent that is a key supplier to Beijing of oil, minerals, tobacco and cotton.
Mr Xi must also protect an estimated two million Chinese working in some of Africa’s most unstable areas – a concern highlighted by a recent attack on the Radisson Blu Hotel in Bamako, Mali, that left at least 20 people dead.
South African President Jacob Zuma made the announcement at a joint media briefing with his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping.
In July, Zimbabwe’s French-backed PER Lusulu Power signed an agreement with China State Construction Engineering Corp Ltd to build a $1.1 billion coal power station starting in April 2016, with the 600MW plant being the first phase of a 2 000 MW project.
Homosexuality is not against the law in the country, but LGBT people often face harsh government clampdowns – with Mugabe claiming homosexuality is a filthy disease, and claiming Zimbabwe would “never, never, never” support homosexuality. President Xi said it was his hope that President Mugabe would lead the African Union to new heights as a respected statesman.
China has emerged as a strong trade partner for Zimbabwe, alongside South Africa.
He called on leaders of African countries to use this opportunity to renew friendship and explore cooperation with China, and chart the course for China-Africa friendly and practical cooperation in various fields.
The new approach to Africa – a hot-spot for Chinese investment – could illustrate how Beijing tries to strike that balance of new security priorities without abandoning a decades-old vow against interfering in other countries.
President Robert Mugabe, the African Union’s current head, is widely shunned by the West but received the Confucius Peace Prize, China’s rival to the Nobel, in October. “We agreed that more could and should be done to increase our trade and investments figures”, Zuma said.
Patrick Chinamasa, Zimbabwe’s minister of finance and economic development, said infrastructure remains the fundamental challenge to unleashing the country’s potential.
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“It’s very urgent for the developing countries to improve their global communication capability to create a more objective, impartial and balanced worldwide public opinion environment”, said Jiang.
