Veteran African leader on 13th China visit

President Xi Jinping and Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe attend a welcoming ceremony outside the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on Aug 24. Mugabe was on a five-day visit to China. Wu Zhiyi / China Daily

Mugabe and Xi sign agreements taking in economics, technology and tourism

On his 13th trip to China starting from Aug 24, Robert Mugabe, the 90-year-old president of Zimbabwe, saw traditional ties become even closer when he met top leaders and signed nine agreements that are expected to help revive the Zimbabwean economy.

The agreements, signed in the presence of President Xi Jinping and Mugabe on Aug 25, covered a wide spectrum, including economic and technical collaboration, food, financing, consular services and tourism.

Calling Mugabe a renowned African liberation leader and an "old friend" of the Chinese people, Xi said China would continue to help Zimbabwe in personnel training, financing and agricultural technologies.

China is willing to take part in building special economic zones and industrial parks in Zimbabwe, boost collaboration in infrastructure and manufacturing and encourage Chinese to invest in Zimbabwe, Xi told Mugabe.

Mugabe said Zimbabwe is eager for more collaboration with China as the country is committed to boosting its economy, upgrading agriculture, industry, mining and infrastructure, and improving people's living conditions.

The former guerrilla, accompanied by a number of cabinet ministers, was on a five-day visit to China.

During his meeting with Premier Li Keqiang on Aug 26, Mugabe said he welcomes Chinese companies and tourists and will facilitate such arrivals.

He thanked China's support and pledged to continue to strengthen the two countries' mutual trust and friendship.

Li promised that China will continue to support the development of Zimbabwe and that of Africa as a whole.

Li said China will "actively support" the proposal of Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma, chairwoman of the African Union Commission, to build high-speed railways connecting capitals and major business centers of African countries, and will help with Africa's industrialization.

China will transfer technologies adapted to Zimbabwe to help it increase food supply, alleviate poverty and improve infrastructure.

Speaking of Chinese economic development, Li told Mugabe that China will "not adopt a strong stimulation policy, but motivate social vitality and business start-ups through reform".

"The potential and resilience of China's economy will become more obvious with the deepening of reform. We have confidence in maintaining a medium-to-high growth of the economy," Li said.

Mugabe's visit came amid Zimbabwe's desperate need for a cash injection to revive its sluggish economy. A five-year blueprint, drafted by Magabe's ruling Zanu-PF party, which aims to turn around the economy, is in need of $27 billion investment to become a reality, far beyond the government's financial means.

The legendary Zimbabwean leader visited China twice before his country's independence in 1980. He advocated Chairman Mao Zedong's ideology, but did not meet him during the two visits.

From 1980 to 2011 he officially visited China nine times. He also met late leader Deng Xiaoping three times.

Last year, when Mugabe was elected president of Zimbabwe for the sixth time, he said he was committed to further developing his country's relationship with China.

He said he hoped Zimbabwe will strengthen trade ties with China in agriculture, mineral industry and infrastructure.

"In the past, China has always been firmly supportive of Zimbabwe, and we consider China a sincere friend."

In recent years, economic cooperation between China and Zimbabwe has developed rapidly. The value of trade between the two reached 1 billion yuan ($160 million) for the first time last year, and China is now the largest investor in the country.

After visiting Beijing, Mugabe arrived in China's ancient capital of Xi'an, Shaanxi province, on Aug 27 to meet local governors and visit the Terracotta Warriors. He was then to fly to Guangzhou to visit Chow Tai Fook, a leading jewelry manufacturer.

He Wenping, director of the Institute of West Asian and African Studies at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, said Mugabe's visit is part of Zimbabwe's "Look East" policy, aimed at forging cooperation with Asia, including China.

Zimbabwe, beset by economic woes, hopes to create more jobs with increasing foreign investment, and the country's stable domestic environment and rich resources present opportunities for Chinese investors, He said.

Zhang Ming, vice-minister of foreign affairs, expressed optimism about the two countries working together, saying there are great opportunities because China is deepening its opening-up and Zimbabwe highly values its social and economic development.

China has emerged as Zimbabwe's top source of direct foreign investment in recent years, with investment concentrated in agriculture, construction, mining and telecommunications. Zimbabwe has the world's biggest reserves of platinum after neighboring South Africa.

zhaoyinan@chinadaily.com.cn

(China Daily Africa Weekly 08/29/2014 page15)