Online Reporter
Nduduzo Tshuma in BEIJING, China
PRESIDENT Mnangagwa is expected to arrive here today ahead of the commemoration of the 80th Anniversary of the Victory in the Chinese People’s War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression and World Anti-Fascist War on Wednesday.
He will join fellow invited Heads of State and Government from 26 countries, including Russian President Vladimir Putin, at Tiananmen Square for a massive military parade among other activities hosted by China for the commemorations.
The Chinese People’s War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression (1931-1945) was the first to break out and lasted the longest in the World Anti-Fascist War.
According to reports, in 14 years, 35 million Chinese were killed or wounded. Japan officially surrendered on September 2, 1945 by signing the Instrument of Surrender.
In 2014, China’s national legislature designated September 3 as Victory Day of its War of Resistance.
A year later, the country held its first-ever large-scale parade at Tiananmen Square to mark the occasion.
Zimbabwe’s Ambassador to China, Abigail Shoniwa, said President Mnangagwa, who left the Vatican last night, is one of a few African leaders invited to the event, signalling deep ties between Harare and Beijing.
“The President’s arrival is awaited and we are very excited, he is coming at the invitation of his counterpart, President Xi Jinping and he will be one of quite a number of Heads of State that are coming. Perhaps, I can take the opportunity to add that he is one of the very few African Heads of State coming,” she said, highlighting cordial relations between the two countries dating back to Zimbabwe’s liberation struggle.
“China was with us during our liberation struggle and trained some of our liberation fighters and among them, the President. He visited the college that he trained at last year during the Forum on China-Africa Co-operation (FOCAC) and it was an emotional reunion which I was privileged to witness. Our relationship with China goes a long way and that relationship has grown stronger.”
China’s Assistant Foreign Minister Hong Lei told the media here last Thursday that their victory in the War of Resistance 80 years ago inspired colonised and semi-colonised nations in their struggles for independence and liberation.
Eighty years later, he said, China is willing to work with all parties, including countries in the Global South, to promote an equal and orderly multipolar world and an inclusive economic globalisation drive that benefits everyone.
Mr Hong said China was also committed to promoting world peace, development and progress.
While here, President Mnangagwa will also hold bilateral talks with President Xi on deepening co-operation across various sectors.
He will also meet a number of companies with business interests in Zimbabwe.
“The visit by the President is a sign of the relationship that we are enjoying with China. He came last year on a State visit and had a good meeting with President Xi and during that meeting, Zimbabwe and China’s relationship was elevated to a Five-Star Ironclad co-operation framework underpinned by five key areas: politics, economy and trade, security, culture and international co-ordination. So that is the level where we are,” said Ambassador Shoniwa.
“China is Zimbabwe’s number one trading partner. Over the years, there have been pronouncements of our relationship being all-weather friends and his (President’s) visit is testimony of that relationship.
“We are very confident that the engagements will come out good and will make a major difference in our economy and the development of our country.”
China has supported Zimbabwe’s various economic sectors towards the realisation of Vision 2030, including Hwange Units 7 and 8 expansion, Kariba South Hydro Power Extension, expansion of the Robert Gabriel Mugabe and Victoria Falls International Airports, and construction of a new National Pharmaceutical Warehouse, among other programmes and projects.
China remains Zimbabwe’s largest source of investment with cumulative investments exceeding US$4,4 billion, including US$400 million in the past year alone.
In 2024, bilateral trade surged to US$3,8 billion with 24 percent year-on-year growth.
In a consolidation of strong relations, President Mnangagwa last month presided over the signing ceremony of a US$55 million Economic and Technical Co-operation Agreement between Zimbabwe and China in Harare.
The two countries also exchanged Letters for Food Assistance worth US$6,9 million. Ambassador Shoniwa said the people-to-people relations remain very strong in various sectors with numbers increasing in tourism while many cultural exchanges are taking place. “We have quite a number of Zimbabwean students based here, some of them are beneficiaries of scholarships being offered by China. I think we get about 100 scholarships every year from the Chinese embassy, a number have come on their own private funding so we have quite a lot of students here.
“Apart from that, we do have Zimbabweans who have come in and are working in various sectors while others have partnered locals to establish businesses.”
