Investment-hungry Zim pulls out all stops for China’s Xi Jinping

President Robert Mugabe met Xi at the airport before the two were driven to Mugabe’s farm, about 40 kilometres north of Harare.

Xi and Mugabe watched their government ministers sign 10 agreements, including on the Hwange deal and the construction of a new parliament building and a pharmaceutical warehouse.

Another important agenda during Xi’s stay in South Africa is to co-chair with President Jacob Zuma the Johannesburg Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC).

“Such initiatives are a clear departure from Beijing’s aversion to military or security intervention in Africa”, Lyle Morris, a project associate at the RAND Corp., said, citing in particular the military assistance Xi pledged in September.

Its growing ties with Africa is evident in its increasing share of trade with African countries, including Zimbabwe and South Africa.

The Chinese leader, who is accompanied by his wife Peng Liyuang and government officials, departs from Harare on Wednesday morning and will arrive in South Africa after midday.

Zuma said, “Media cooperation between China and Africa captures our strong people-to-people cooperation, which can be enhanced by the increased role of the media”.

The two countries also signed a deal to improve cooperation in nuclear power, but gave no details.

Mr Mugabe and Mr Xi are expected to sign several “mega deals”, said Mr Ping.

According to an Executive Mansion release, the Summit, which is being held under the theme, “Africa-China Progressing Together: Win-Win Cooperation for Common Development”, marks the first time that African and Chinese leaders will meet in Africa to look at ways of deepening cooperation.

Danish said China’s support to Africa was focusing on two areas – industrialization and agricultural modernization – in order to alleviate poverty.

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

“I am fulfilling that promise”, said President Xi to deafening applause.

“China and Zimbabwe, in spite of the vast distance between them, have maintained a traditional friendship that is deep and firm”, Xi said in an article in the Herald.

China’s economic downturn has had a knock-on effect on African countries that export raw materials to China’s once-booming industries. Jinping is in Zimbabwe for a two day State visit during which he is set to sign some bilate…

Xi will start his trip in Harare, capital of Zimbabwe, where Chinese projects have been one of the few pillars holding up an economy in dire straits under Mugabe’s rule.

China has become a major trading partner of Zimbabwe and its largest source of foreign investment. “Last year Zimbabwe and China agreed to be good friends and brothers on an equal footing”, he said.