China’s Xi arrives in South Africa for talks with Zuma, trade summit

Peng accompanied her husband President Xi Jinpeng on his state visit to Zimbabwe.

The foundation of the China-Africa friendship lies in the people, and the media are an important channel for both sides to communicate and learn from each other, Xi said in his congratulatory message. Over the years, the forum has become a crucial platform for collective dialogue between China and Africa and an effective mechanism for closer practical cooperation, Xi noted.

Mujuru was eventually sacked from her post and Zanu-PF.

Xi’s visit is a major event in the history of Sino-African relations and a new milestone for China-Zimbabwe relations.

China is Zimbabwe’s top foreign investor, injecting 2.7 billion dollars into the country between 2010 and 2013, according to the Zimbabwe Investment Authority.

China has pledged US$100 million (S$141 million) of military aid to the African Union, sent an infantry battalion to support peacekeeping efforts in South Sudan, and deployed frigates to fight piracy off the Somali coast, leading the country to consider building its first overseas naval resupply station in Djibouti.

Noah Gwariro, managing director of state-owned Zimbabwe Power Company, which owns Hwange, said engineering, procurement and construction of Hwange would cost $1.175 billion while interest, bank charges and Zimbabwe’s down payment for the project would cost $325 million.

Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe and several cabinet ministers have said that they are keenly awaiting the visit by Chinese President Xi Jinping.

Mr Xi and a large Chinese delegation will fly to South Africa on Wednesday, where he will attend the first China-Africa summit to be held in Africa.

“Although this approach has precipitated some benefit to African countries, including Zimbabwe, the advantage is often squarely in China’s favour”.

The Chinese President Xi Jinping has signed 10 investment deals with Zimbabwe on Tuesday evening, pledging to continue cooperating with the investment-hungry country as it attempts to reverse a prolonged economic meltdown. As Africans we look forward to expanding our cooperation with China in line with “Africa’s Agenda 2063 – The Africa we want” priorities, particularly in the areas of trade, investment, infrastructure, industrialisation, public health, education, green energy, agriculture, and human resource development.

Despite the slowdown in its economy, China is expected to finance industrialization projects in African countries, according to Danish.

“We’re still confident about China-Africa trade” because of positive developments in Africa including its growing population and abundant resources, Qian said.

The relationship between China and Africa is a partnership that is aligned to Africa’s development goals and not merely based on just trade, South African Minister in the Presidency responsible for Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation, Jeff Radebe, has said.