There is greater scope for continued expansion for China-Zimbabwe ties

While hailing China's continued support to Zimbabwe since the days of country's struggle for independence, Harare Metropolitan Provincial governor and Resident minister David Karimanzira said on Monday there is greater scope for continued growth and expansion of China-Zimbabwe relations, even between the peoples of the two nations.

In an interview with Xinhua, David Karimanzira said China's assistance to Zimbabwe has evolved over the years from political to economic support.

"As you know (zimbabwe) cadres were trained in China and China supported our struggle for independence for all times and they supported in every way."

"And up to now they are still with us and so China and Zimbabwe are one in that in this phase after the war of liberation and after achieving our independence and sovereignty, China is assisting Zimbabwe, supporting Zimbabwe in the sphere of economic development," he noted.

Karimanzira said there is greater scope for continued growth and expansion of China-Zimbabwe relations, even between the peoples of the two nations.

"So at the moment their presence in Zimbabwe is very big and we see Zimbabweans going to China every day. So our relationship is growing even bigger. We see big things ahead of us, between China and Zimbabwe," he said.

What is required, he said, is for the two countries to continue working together to take their relationship to new levels.

China has developed a new strategic partnership with Zimbabwe and Africa based on mutual trust and benefit. The 2006 Beijing Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation laid a new foundation upon which relations between the world's poorest continent and the Asian giant are now built.

Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao announced on Sunday in Egypt eight new measures the Chinese government will take to strengthen China-Africa cooperation in the next three years.

Wen announced the measures while addressing the opening ceremony of the Fourth Ministerial Conference of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) in the Egyptian resort of Sharm el-Sheikh.

The eight new measures, succeeding the eight ones put forward by Chinese President Hu Jintao at the landmark Beijing Summit of the FOCAC in 2006, are aimed at pushing forward China-Africa cooperation in the next three years.

Source: Xinhua