Kuda Bwititi, Harare Bureau
CHINA is helping African countries to fast-track their modernisation, and Zimbabwe will continue to take a leaf from the world’s second-largest economy to uplift the standards of living of its people, President Mnangagwa has said.
The President said this in an interview with the China Media Group on the sidelines of the just-ended Forum for China-Africa Co-operation (Focac) in Beijing.
President Mnangagwa returned home yesterday from the highly successful State visit and participation at the summit, which saw the country seal multi-million-dollar deals in various sectors of the economy, such as mining and energy.
He was met at the Robert Gabriel Mugabe International Airport by Vice Presidents, Dr Constantino Chiwenga and Kembo Mohadi.
Robert Gabriel Mugabe International Airport
“If we look at the last conference we held in 2018 and today, there has been tremendous transformation in our respective countries, because we all are determined to modernise our respective countries, to industrialise our respective countries,” President Mnangagwa told the China Media Group.
“As we come to China, which has rapidly developed and has modernised its economy, we get insights into how they have travelled that journey; and the challenges which we face, some have been resolved here. So, it’s an advantage for us to leapfrog the challenges, which have been resolved.”
Having lived in China in the 1960s, when he received military training at the Nanjing Army Command College, he said, he fully understands how China has developed and how Zimbabwe can draw lessons from the Asian giant.
“So, I know firsthand the leapfrogging of development and modernisation of Chinese cities because I have trained here, in Nanjing, yes. It was called Nanking at the time. Now, this time you have changed it to Nanjing.
“And I marvel at what it is today, which means there was tremendous transformation, tremendous modernisation, tremendous industrialisation of this country.”
President Mnangagwa said, in the same way China harnessed its internal capacities and resources to develop, Zimbabwe would similarly leverage its domestic resources to modernise and industrialise.
“We marvel. But then it also means it is possible to achieve the quality of life of our people if we focus on looking at domestic resources to build our countries and take the responsibility ourselves to build our own country with our own vision . . . Here and there, perhaps people may want to emulate what is happening elsewhere, but, at the end of the day, like here, they say we want to build China with Chinese characteristics, which means it shall remain China with its culture and characteristics,” the President added.
“We need to make sure, as we leapfrog our transformation and modernisation, we do it thoroughly and perfectly . . . learning from those who have passed the test.”
His meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping, he said, had been highly successful.
“I was so, so appreciative of what President Xi Jinping said. The degree and the warmth of co-operation he exuded towards Zimbabwe was beyond my expectations. And the offer he has given to support Zimbabwe’s transformation again is beyond whatever me and my delegation expected.”
President Mnangagwa said the outcome of the engagements in China had given impetus to the transformation of Zimbabwe into an upper middle-income economy by 2030.
He also said embracing science, technology and innovation was paramount. Posting on his official X account after the end of his tour on Friday, President Mnangagwa said the visit to China would lead to “exciting times” for Zimbabwe.
At Focac, China unveiled a US$50 billion package to help African countries modernise.
On Tuesday, President Mnangagwa met President Xi and the two leaders’ discussions reaffirmed the strong ties between Harare and Beijing.
He also met with the owners of Bikita Minerals, who announced a US$500 million investment in a lithium smelter to be sited in Masvingo, closer to Lake Mutirikwi.
This will boost Zimbabwe’s ambition to create jobs and value-add lithium resources, which are integral to the new green energy revolution.
Earlier on Thursday, the President met with a delegation from TBEA, which seeks partnership with the Zimbabwe Electricity Supply Authority to enhance power distribution in Zimbabwe.
President Mnangagwa also held what he dubbed a “productive meeting” with the chairperson of the China Rail International Group, Mr Bi Yanchun.
Soon after the meeting on Tuesday, the President said the discussions centred on enhancing Zimbabwe’s rail infrastructure to drive economic growth.
Overall, President Mnangagwa also witnessed the signing of 17 agreements with China to enhance trade and investment and bolster synergies between companies from the two countries.
In his speech at the summit, President Xi undertook to make investments and start projects that would create one million jobs in Africa.
