Chinese delegation eyes Manicaland

Government officials from Manicaland Province as they sought to establish business ties.
Hubei Provincial Government senior advisor Mr Li Chunming led the Chinese delegation while the local delegation was headed by Manicaland Governor and Resident Minister Christopher Mushohwe.
Speaking at the meeting, Mr Li said the Hubei Province was predominantly agricultural-based and the delegation was seeking to establish synergies with agri-business partners in Manicaland, especially tobacco production.
“Hubei Province is a major producer of top-range cigarettes and it purchases a significant amount of quality tobacco from Zimbabwe.
“In terms of our current co-operation with the Manicaland Province we have set up a tobacco planting project in the area of up to 50 hectares, which has seen an improvement in quality and yields produced. Tobacco from this project has been earning top prices at the auction floors this season. We are looking to increase the hectarage to 80 hectares this year, and 600 hectares in two years time,” he said.
Hubei Provincial Government’s engagement with businesspeople in Manicaland comes in the wake of a twinning arrangement signed between Manicaland province and the Chinese province of Anhui in March.
China’s Ambassador to Zimbabwe, Mr Xin Shunkang, said the linkage between the two provinces in the area of agri-business was a major step in the establishment of synergies in other sectors.
“This is an important step for the two provinces and in the near future the range of business partnerships will include machinery, textiles and manufacturing,” he said.
Governor Mushohwe said China would always receive top priority in terms of investment opportunities in Zimbabwe due to the historical bilateral and economic ties between the two countries. He, however, called on the Chinese to help boost the province in respect of manufacturing mainly in the areas of tobacco and food processing, diamond cutting and polishing and paper milling among other sectors.
Governor Mushohwe also called for new investments in infrastructure refurbishment and development in view of anticipated economic growth in the area in the province following the discovery of diamonds.
In a related matter, Governor Mushohwe said a preliminary study of the Chiadzwa diamond fields has shown that the country could be holding 30 percent of the world’s diamond resources. “Experts contend that Zimbabwe may hold 30 percent of the world’s diamonds, and this could be our exit strategy from the debilitating effects of the Western-imposed sanctions on our economy,” he said.
Two of the five diamond miners in the Chiadzwa area are Chinese companies.