adminZimbabwe’s relations with China have been the talking point in the past few years and the recent trip to the Asian giant by a Zimbabwean delegation led by President Mugabe brought the relationship into even sharper focus. Our sister organisation Star FM this week invited Chinese Ambassador to Zimbabwe, Lin Lin (LL) to discuss the dynamics of the Zimbabwe-China friendship.
SFM: Would you please explain in brief the history of the relations between China and Zimbabwe?
LL: Well, we all know that there is a long tradition and relationship between China and Zimbabwe. Our relations were forged in global spheres of fighting together against imperialism and colonialism. It is now 34 years since the establishment of diplomatic relations, which came after Zimbabwe’s independence. Our two countries have understood and supported each other in issues regarding each other’s core interests and matters of concern and have helped each other in the attainment of progress.
The tradition of China and Zimbabwe friendship is the common treasure which the two countries both cherish. My president calls Zimbabwe our good brother; good friends and good partners.
SFM: Last month our President Cde Mugabe was in China leading a delegation that sealed a number of agreements with Chinese organisations. These are being termed the Zim-Sino Agreements. What was the significance of this trip?
LL: Well from August the 21st to 28th this year, President Mugabe paid us a visit at the invitation of the Chinese President Xi Xinping. During this visit President Mugabe met the leaders, like the Chinese President, Chinese Premier and Chinese central committee of the National Peoples’ Congress of China. So the two Presidents witnessed the signing of the nine bilateral documents such as the agreement on the economic and technological co-operation between the two countries and other documents in the field of food finance etc.
I think the significance of this visit is first of all that the two countries have further strengthened mutual understanding and have exchanged views on the future development of political, economical, cultural as well as people to people relations between our two countries.
They also talked about the latest developments and situation here; what challenges this country is facing and my president has made the commitment to do our best to help Zimbabwe to achieve economic recovery, social development, to overcome the present challenges. And let me give a few examples of commitments made by China or the assistance given by my government. Actually China provides 1.36 billion rmb to Zimbabwe — that is something equivalent to US$280 million loan to fund NetOne’s network expansion phase two projects. So I can say President Mugabe’s State visit to China has great impact on the future development Zimbabwe relations.
SFM: Mr Ambassador, at a breakfast meeting a couple of weeks ago where the Zimbabwe Minister of Finance, Cde Patrick Chinamasa was enlightening the nation on the outcome of the Zim Sin0 Agreements and what they mean for the country, one of the biggest questions in the that breakfast meeting was to do with the intentions of China. Some say China is the new imperial power of the world and that you are doing exactly what the traditional imperialists do or used to do; which is to offer money in assistance to poor countries on the condition that they allow you to plunder their resources. What is your comment on this?
LL: Well, I am sure most of us know very well what traditional imperialists did in the world back in the past 300 or 400 years. China also suffered from imperialist oppression. So we know what traditional imperialists were and definitely China will not follow that, what they did in the past century.
Actually China is a developing country itself. We have more than 100 million people still living below the poverty datum line. Our main task at the moment is to try to uplift people’s livelihoods and in this process we simply believe that it is our duty to try to help other developing countries to achieve common development. China has been providing assistance to African countries since 1950s. And when China was still a poor country, we helped African countries to build, Tanzania-Zambia railway.
SFM: China is now considered one of the top economies in the world. Actually, it is said China is number two after the USA and now people argue that China is now bigger than the USA in terms of the economy. What has been the key to China’s success in this regard?
LL: Well, there are many researches and observations on China’s economy success and I am sorry to say that no conclusion has been made yet, but in my own opinion, the most important experience is that China has been sticking to the policy of reform and opening up since 1978.
One thing for China’s success is China is quick to learn from the advances experience of other countries from the development world. And China has been doing a lot to try to attract foreign investments to introduce advanced technology and to attract foreign talents for our own development. So by introducing advanced technology and also equipments from other parts of the world.
SFM: So people ask why Chinese industries seemingly manufacture shoddy products for us and yet they have got high quality products they distribute to other countries.
LL: I think you know that China produces products of different qualities. So it’s not China which send cheap quality products here in Zimbabwe, but business people who go to China and take the cheap products back to Zimbabwe for sale. So Chinese government should not be blamed for this. You find Chinese commodities all over the world even in Europe even in USA. You also have cheap products in those countries. For example, I was in USA some years back and I found out that 99 percent of goods on the shelves were from China. Cheap things does not mean low quality but some greedy people want to get more profits and they don’t care about the quality. They get one thing for US$1 in China and want to sell it for US$5 or even more in Zimbabwe. So China should not be blamed but the people who want to get maximum profits from this business. I think the government should take some measures.
People should boycott those low quality products if it’s not comparable with the price. . .
SFM: In other words you say in China they manufacture products for all ranges of price, so they have US$1 products and have got a US$1 000 product. So if you buy the 1 dollar product you should expect the quality of a US$1 product?
LL: Yes, that is why many Zimbabweans go to China for shopping and even some MPs they go to China for shopping, why? Because they can get good quality products for low price in China.
SFM: Ambassador, the Chinese seem to be protective of their culture and legacy. How do Chinese people take things like inter marrying with none Chinese people?
LL: Well you are right that the Chinese people do cherish our culture. We are proud of China’s splendid and colourful culture just as our Zimbabwe brothers do. I think it does not stop us from embracing the cultural diversity of the world and all the countries and all the people in the world should respect the cultures, traditions of other countries.
So presently many cities in China have literally become melting pots of different cultures and have received with open arms people from all over the world.
The cultural difference somehow is an obstacle for Chinese to marry a non-Chinese but that was some years back. However nowadays Chinese people are marrying foreigners. Personally, I know even some Chinese here have married Zimbabweans.
Online Reporter