Zimbabwe and China will continue to strengthen the friendly bilateral relations that have existed since the birth of Zimbabwe, Deputy Foreign Affairs Minister Obert Matshalaga said on Thursday in Harare.

At the reception to mark the national day of China, the deputy minister said Zimbabwe noted with great satisfaction that the relations between the two friendly countries were deepening, strengthening and broadening as demonstrated by the recent visit to China by President Robert Mugabe and as evidenced by the increased level of cooperation politically and in key sectors of Zimbabwe's economy.

Matshalaga said Zimbabwe would look forward to the consolidation of these excellent relations and the exploration of more opportunities of cooperation for the mutual benefit of both countries and peoples in areas such as trade, technology transfer and investment.

Matshalaga added that the two countries enjoy profound ties that date back to the days of liberation struggle in Zimbabwe.

He said Zimbabweans would remember the enormous sacrifices that the Chinese government made during that important period in the history of Zimbabwe.

"We remain grateful for that timely material and moral assistance as we fought for independence and liberation," said Matshalaga.

Source: Xinhua