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official visit at the invitation of the Chinese Government, it emerged yesterday.
To the contrary, highly placed sources in Government told The Herald that PM Tsvangirai was invited by the Beijing Municipality to participate at the China Beijing International Trade Fair for Trade in Services.
“This explains why his invitation did not come through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs as is the norm for all official visits to other countries,” said the source.
“Even the officials from Chinese Ministries that organised some business meetings that he attended just sent some junior officials to receive him.”
The PM was in China between May 26 and 29 in what was earlier on reported as an official visit.
“Officially, the Prime Minister was invited by Liu Qi, the CPC secretary for the Beijing Municipality,” an official said yesterday.
“It was a result of efforts of the Chinese Ambassador to Zimbabwe, Mr Xin Shunkang, who had been working to make this visit possible during his tenure. Normally, when China invites a government official of the level of the Prime Minister, Beijing gives a grant as a token. This courtesy, was however, not given to the Prime Minister.”
But PM Tsvangirai’s spokesperson Mr Luke Tamborinyoka insisted that their trip to China was above board.
“Are you not the one who published a story quoting (the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Media Information and Publicity Mr George) Charamba saying that PM Tsvangirai was going to China on an official visit?” he said.
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“As far as we know, he was invited by the Government of China through its ambassador (Mr Xin). Did he not meet the Chinese Prime Minister? Is he the Mayor of Beijing? You say that was council invitation? In all the meetings that we had, the Zimbabwean Ambassador to China (Cde Fredrick Shava) was there.”
Government sources insisted that although the PM Tsvangirai paid a courtesy call on Chinese premier Mr Wen Jiabao, he declined to discuss politics with him.
“The Chinese official was reluctant to engage the PM politically,” said the source.
“He wanted to talk about what he called toxic issues in the inclusive Government, but the Chinese refused to give him an ear.”
The PM’s 31-member delegation did not involve some Zanu-PF officials, yet most of the institutions he visited have more to do with some ministries held by Zanu-PF.
“The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of China did not initiate any meetings apart from seconding the Chinese Ambassador designate to Zimbabwe and a desk officer to the delegation. The Ministry played a low profile and left the visit to be coordinated by the Beijing Municipality and the Ministry of Commerce,” said the source.
“In fact, the coincidence of the Sadc Summit in Angola came as a relief for the PM who came empty handed from China.”
On arrival in China, PM Tsvangirai was received by Assistant Minister of Commerce, Madam Qiu Hong and junior Foreign Ministry officials and Chinese Ambassador designate to Zimbabwe, Mr Lin Lin He met Mr Wen on May 28, had separate meetings with the China Railway International Co. Ltd, China Dalian International
Economic and Technical Cooperation Group Co. Ltd, Sinohydro, the China Machinery Engineering Corporation and the China Export and Credit Insurance Corporation.
On May 29, PM Tsvangirai delivered a speech during the Summit of the Forum on Sino Africa Trade in Services and Investment. He did not strike new deals, but discussed already existing deals among them water reticulation, infrastructure and roads development, mining and investment.
Online Reporter