Online Reporter
Remember Deketeke-Herald Correspondent
ZIMBABWE has reaffirmed its commitment to deepening bilateral co-operation with China by moving beyond Government-level engagement and embracing direct private sector collaboration.
Speaking during a Zimbabwe–China Business Roundtable held in Harare on Tuesday, Presidential Affairs and Devolution Permanent Secretary, Engineer Tafadzwa Muguti, said the country was determined to improve the investment climate by rooting out corrupt tendencies and aligning foreign participation with national priorities such as environmental protection, law enforcement, and value addition.
“We are strengthening our ties with China, but at the same time, we are also removing the red tape that creates loopholes for Zimbabweans to demand bribes from foreigners. This is criminal, and it undermines our investment environment,” Eng Muguti said.
He said relations between the two countries were no longer limited to government-to-government frameworks, but had evolved into robust people-to-people and business-to-business partnerships.
“What we are seeing now is a shift. Yes, the foundation was intergovernmental, but we are now seeing private sector exchanges taking centre stage, and we welcome that,” Eng Muguti said.
China is Zimbabwe’s largest foreign investor and continues to account for the bulk of the country’s mineral and tobacco exports.
According to Eng Muguti, over 80 percent of Zimbabwe’s tobacco is exported to China, and “a significant share of our minerals too.”
President Mnangagwa has previously directed that raw lithium and chrome must no longer be exported under the National Development Strategy 2 (NDS2), urging investors to establish processing plants locally.
“The President has already said it. We are not going to be allowing any more chrome, any more lithium going out in NDS2. Zimbabwe should also make its batteries here,” Eng Muguti said.
He invited Chinese investors to take up space in the Special Economic Zone in Sunway City, where government has set aside vast tracts of land for industrial development.
“We want Zimbabwe to become a manufacturing hub. It’s the same soil, the same resources, they can be processed here,” said Eng Muguti.
CZEC chairman Mr Steve Zhao Ke echoed these sentiments, stressing the importance of mutual respect and legal compliance.
“When you go to a foreign country, you must understand and respect its laws and culture. We are educating our community across all 10 provinces to stop crime and improve understanding,” he said.
“We also hope the government will continue educating our people about local policies and cultural norms.”
Mr Zhao emphasised the need for dialogue and community programmes to help bridge knowledge gaps between the two peoples.
The workshop also reinforced the Second Republic’s push for value addition and beneficiation of Zimbabwe’s vast mineral wealth.
As the two nations mark over four decades of diplomatic relations, both governments appear keen on fostering deeper commercial and cultural integration — but with clearer rules and stronger mutual accountability.
