TINOTENDA NYAMUZIHWA/MITCHELL MAPURISA
AFTER Zimbabwe severed ties with its old coloniser, Britain, the two nations’ relations were re-established. Trade doors opened when the British withdrew; Chinese businesses seized lucrative concessions for government projects and grew to dominate the Zimbabwean market.
The historical bonds between the two nations, which date back to Zimbabwe’s struggle against colonial control in the 1960s, are at an all-time high. Agreements on trade, investment protection, and economic and technical cooperation have been signed by the governments of China and Zimbabwe.
Additionally, a joint economic and trade commission between the two countries was established. China is one of Zimbabwe’s biggest economic partners and its biggest source of investment, with holdings in industries ranging from construction to agriculture totalling several billions of pounds.
China’s assistance in Zimbabwe’s quest for independence served as the foundation of the relationship. When Zimbabwe was subjected to sanctions by the United States and the European Union as a result of its land reform program, which attempted to correct colonial property ownership inequities, the friendship between the two countries only deepened in the early 2000s.
The Look East policy was implemented in 2003 by former president Robert Mugabe in response to growing economic isolation and capital flight.
‘‘We have turned east, where the sun rises, and given our back to the west, where the sun sets,’’ Mugabe declared at the national sports stadium in Harare, which was built by the Chinese.
Economically, Zimbabwe was economically reoriented toward the Asia-Pacific region under this policy, with a focus on improving trading ties with China. Since then, China has taken the lead in modernizing Zimbabwe’s mining, telecommunications, and agricultural industries. Cooperation has advanced significantly in a number of other areas, including education, research, culture, and health.
China has paid US$144 million for high-value projects in Zimbabwe, including work on repairing the water infrastructure and restoring the sewage systems for the Harare City Council. China’s Exim Bank provided funding for the undertaking.
Anhui Foreign and Economic Construction Company also completed the US$ 98 million Zimbabwe National Defence College project with the help of an Exim Bank of China loan with low interest rates. This was done at a time when multilateral lending organizations had lowered Zimbabwe’s credit rating to junk status.
Other projects include the construction of the Kunzvi Dam and the Matabeleland Zambezi Water Pipeline, both of which were first proposed by colonial settlers in 1912.
Large-scale power and energy projects are being undertaken in Zimbabwe by Chinese companies. Chinese investors and businesses are attracted by a variety of initiatives, not only big, national-scale ones. They are active in every sector of Zimbabwe’s economy. Chinese businesses are therefore significant employers.
Moreover, China has been at the forefront of aiding Zimbabwe in its fight against the worldwide pandemic by supplying COVID-19 vaccines and anti-epidemic supplies. China has consistently supported Zimbabwe since the start of the pandemic, while having a monumental challenge at home battling the deadly virus.
Zimbabwe was one of the first African nations to launch a successful immunisation program using vaccinations given by the Chinese government which was thanks to China’s prompt help. During the pandemic, China provided more than just material aid to Zimbabwe. Along with providing its anti-epidemic expertise, it also sent a group of medical professionals to Zimbabwe to speak with their counterparts on fighting the pandemic.
Zimbabwe fully supports China’s efforts to protect national sovereignty and territorial integrity, promotes the fairness and justice of international society, respects the One-China concept, and has frequently provided China with helpful support.
They have consistently collaborated to combat hegemony, power politics, and unilateralism while maintaining justice and fairness on the global stage.
Under the strategic guidance of the state leaders of the two countries and following the principles of sincerity, real results, amity and good faith, China has been supporting Zimbabwe to realize its national development. Strong bilateral cooperation and ever-expanding strong relations between the two nations have been the norm.
As part of its agricultural cooperation with Zimbabwe, China supports the tobacco business, which reflects China’s distinct approach to aid and development. China emerged as the appropriate partner to revitalize Zimbabwe’s tobacco sector through the founding of TZTC to procure flue-cured tobacco for the sizable Chinese market in the early 2000s as one of the only development partners ready to invest in Zimbabwe.
Favourable circumstances, such as the support of the Chinese government, strong bilateral ties, and agreement on political objectives, have helped TZTC to become one of the key players in the tobacco sector in Zimbabwe.
As a result, farmers are becoming more dependent on the harvest of tobacco, and the government is relying on China as an export market. As part of its agricultural cooperation with Zimbabwe, China supports the tobacco business, which reflects China’s distinct approach to aid and development.
China emerged as the appropriate partner to revitalize Zimbabwe’s tobacco sector through the founding of TZTC to procure flue cured tobacco for the sizable Chinese market in the early 2000s as one of the only development partners ready to invest in Zimbabwe.
Favourable circumstances, such as the support of the Chinese government, strong bilateral ties, and agreement on political objectives, have helped TZTC to become one of the key players in the tobacco sector in Zimbabwe.
Through initiatives like the Belt and Road Initiative, many aspects are brought about for the win-win cooperation between China and Zimbabwe. The relationship between China and Zimbabwe is not just about the economic trade between the two countries, it also focuses on their mutual development and complementarity.
Supporting Zimbabwe’s economic and social growth will always be a key priority of China-Zimbabwe cooperation, in order to increase Zimbabwe’s potential for self-generated development.
About the authors: Tinotenda Nyamuzihwa and Mitchell Mapurisa are final year students studying International Relations at Africa University.
