Zim, China take business relations to higher level

From Hatred Zenenga in BEIJING, China
ZIMBABWE and China yesterday took economic and business relations to a higher level with the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding geared at accelerating the implementation of ZimAsset.

Vice-President Emmerson Mnangagwa, who arrived here on Monday on a five-day official visit, witnessed the signing ceremony where the deputy secretary in the Office of the President and Cabinet, Justin Mupamhanga signed on behalf of Zimbabwe, while China was represented by the vice-chairman of the National Development and Reform of China Wang Jiarui.

The framework of understanding will cover specific sectors of the economy that include mining, tourism, infrastructure development and Special Economic Zones.

Zimbabwe’s ambassador to China, Cde Paul Chikawa described the event as key in as far as it was focused on breathing economic life into Zim-Asset.

“What’s exciting between Zimbabwe and China is what political relations can do to economic relations. We want to see economic relations rapidly improving so that they are at par with the economic relations,” he said.

Earlier in the day, Vice-President Mnangagwa began his busy programme by holding a series of meetings, starting with the vice minister of International Department Xu Luyuping.

The two leaders said they wanted to build on the mega deals negotiated and signed by President Robert Mugabe during his visit to China last year.

This is Cde Mnangagwa’s first official visit outside Zimbabwe since taking up the post of one of the country’s Vice-Presidents last year. “Following my appointment as Vice-President by President Mugabe last year, one of the assignments he gave me is to ensure the successful recovery of Zimbabwe’s economy and I want to make sure that China helps us to achieve this,” he said.

He is accompanied by the Minister of Industry and Trade, Cde Mike Bimha, Minister of Small and Medium Enterprises, and Co-operative Development, Cde Sithembiso Nyoni, Zanu-PF deputy secretary for Youth Affairs, Cde Kudzi Chipanga and several other senior Government officials.