Africa to focus on China debt at summit

During his visit, Xi is also scheduled to meet South Africa’s President Jacob Zuma and co-chair a two-day summit between China and African countries in Johannesburg.

Chinese President Xi Jinping visited a wildlife sanctuary in Harare Wednesday morning before wrapping up a state visit to Zimbabwe, in a show of the country’s commitment to wildlife protection.

Mugabe welcomed Xi and his wife Peng Liyuan describing them as “true and dear friends of the people of Zimbabwe”.

Its investments on the continent range from Zambian power plants, Egyptian trade deals, cobalt mines in Congo, rail links in East Africa and infrastructure in Equatorial Guinea. One South African cabinet minister said that bilateral deals were expected to be agreed during Wednesday’s meeting between Xi and Zuma, and the government issued a statement saying that the trade imbalance was one of the issues to be discussed.

However, Mr Xi is still expected to cast China’s security role in Africa as limited and within the framework of global organisations.

But China’s direct investment in Africa has fallen roughly 40 per cent in the first half of 2015 to $US1.19 billion, China’s commerce ministry said on November 17.

After attaining political independence, President Mugabe said, Zimbabwe embarked on another struggle to empower people economically.

“As for whether China will continue to provide support and aid, there will be no doubt about it”, Zhang said, without divulging details on the aid amount and its goal.

Chinese President Xi Jinping, inspects the guard of honour upon his arrival in Harare, Zimbabwe, Tuesday, Dec. 1.

Nigeria’s President Muhammadu Buhari will ask Xi to fund rail and power projects urgently needed to diversify an economy hit hard by a plunge in oil prices, a spokesman said.

The Summit will also review the implementation of various agreements signed since 2006, and outline the course of action for development of China-Africa relations over the next few years.

Mr. Mugabe said the two countries were collaborating in projects in nearly every sector. “So it’s quite an important state visit”.

For years, the consolidation of Sino-African relations has been the cornerstone of China’s diplomacy; never forgetting African brothers reflects the Chinese people’s faith over never forgetting about its past sufferings.

“The Chinese investors are becoming quite strong in terms of their investments in Zimbabwe”.

Huang Ping, Chinese Ambassador to Harare, said China pumped in more than 0 million into the country in 2013, making it the biggest foreign investor in the nation, so far.

“This summit takes place on the 15th anniversary of the establishment of the Focac and it is also the first Focac summit ever held on the African continent”.

China maintains trade surpluses with numerous African countries, including South Africa, a situation that analysts say should change as China’s investments spur Africa’s industrial capacity and China opens up its markets to goods produced in Africa.