China to deepen relations with Zimbabwe

Xi says 'old friends' will boost cooperation on infrastructure, agriculture

China vowed on Jan 9 to deepen infrastructure and agricultural cooperation with Zimbabwe, the first foreign country, in 2015, to adopt the Chinese yuan as its primary international currency.

President Xi Jinping and Zimbabwe's President Robert Mugabe reached the agreement on Jan 9 when they met at the Diaoyutai State Guesthouse in Beijing.

"China will never forget old friends," Xi said, adding that Beijing cherishes its friendly ties with Harare, which have stood the test of time.

Aside from cooperation on infrastructure and agriculture, Xi said China will also encourage enterprises to invest in the African country.

In November, Mugabe opened the upgraded Victoria Falls International Airport. Expansion of the airport was undertaken by China Jiangsu International and financed through a $150 million (143 million euros; 124 million) loan from China Export Import Bank.

Mugabe said completion of the airport project was a major milestone in the country's development efforts, and he described China as "a great partner and friend". The airport is the gateway to Victoria Falls, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of the seven natural wonders of the world.

The meeting was a follow-up to Xi's December 2015 visit to the African country, whose economy is complementary to that of China, says Chen Fengying, a researcher in global economics at the China Institute of Contemporary International Relations.

Officials in Zimbabwe say the country's adoption of the Chinese yuan was the natural progression of Mugabe's Look East foreign policy.

In response to increased economic isolation from Western powers, Mugabe announced the policy in 2003, and Zimbabwe pivoted economically toward the Asia-Pacific region, with an emphasis on closer trade relations with China.

"China's heightened ties with Zimbabwe and Zimbabwe's adoption of the yuan are the culmination of more than three decades of consistent cooperation between the two countries," Tokyo-based magazine The Diplomat wrote in January last year.

"Should these linkages inspire ... recovery of the Zimbabwean economy, they could be a harbinger for profoundly expanded Chinese influence in Sub-Saharan Africa," it said.

Contact the writers at lixiaokun@chinadaily.com.cn and huyongqi@chinadaily.com.cn

(China Daily Africa Weekly 01/13/2017 page13)