Online Reporter
Herald Correspondent
The People’s Republic of China has issued a guarantee of support for Zimbabwe, saying it will work with Harare to strengthen economic, political and social ties in the future.
Chinese Ambassador Zhou Ding, said the two countries should coordinate economic cooperation as they have blueprints that will run concurrently from 2026 to 2030.
Amb Zhou made the remarks in a documentary premièred at the weekend.
He noted that both countries have rolled out their respective development blueprints — China’s 15th Five-Year Plan (2026-2030) and Zimbabwe’s National Development Strategy 2 (NDS2), paving way for closer economic cooperation.
“Synergising these visions will unlock enormous opportunities for further bilateral cooperation, which will help create quality jobs and underpin Zimbabwe’s sustainable and inclusive growth,” he said.
Last year, Zimbabwe adopted the NDS2 as the framework for economic development, anchored on attaining an upper middle income status by the end of the decade.
“As Zimbabwe strives to build a modern, industrialised upper-middle-income economy under President ED Mnangagwa’s mantra of ‘Nyika inovakwa nevene vayo’, China will always stand firmly alongside Zimbabwe,” the Chinese ambassador said.
“Building on the solid foundation laid over the past 45 years, we are confident that our joint endeavours will forge an even more fruitful and lasting partnership in the decades ahead.”
The documentary by a local think tank, Ruzivo Media and Resource Centre, traces Zimbabwe and China’s relations since 1980, tracing historical ties, present day achievements and maps out future prospects for the development of the two side’s relations.
China, which helped Zimbabwe gain Independence from Britain through military, technical and ideological support —including training liberation fighters was the first country to establish diplomatic relations with Zimbabwe in 1980.
President Mnangagwa was among the first group of cadres trained in China in 1964.
Amb Zhou said: “Beyond economic ties, through expanded cultural exchanges, education and training programmes, and greater people-to-people engagement, we will continue to strengthen our enduring partnership and time-honoured friendship.”
In the documentary, Harare Mayor, Clr Jacob Mafume stresses the growing relations between the capital and China, which recently saw the city acquiring water reticulation overhaul equipment, smart meters and waste management equipment from China.
The City of Harare also has a twinning arrangement with Guangzhou, a major Chinese city in the south of China.
The Minister of Skills Audit, Professor Paul Mavima said it was important for Zimbabwe’s education sector to build cooperation with Chinese institutions and collaborate in development of Fourth Industrial Revolution-led solutions.
Mashonaland East Minister of State for Provincial Affairs, Cde Itayi Ndudzo said Zimbabwe’s economic cooperation with China, which has seen companies such as Dinson Industrial Group (owners of Dinson Iron and Steel Company’s Manhize steel plant) and Huayou Cobalt (Prospect Lithium) invest in the country, showed that the country is a good destination for capital.
Several experts have hailed the cooperation between Zimbabwe and China, predicting closer and more fruitful relations in the future.
The documentary director and producer, Tichaona Zindoga, said: “We are delighted that this documentary is getting out to the public, so that people don’t just know about the history — which in my view is well told — but also the present and the future of our two friendly countries.”
