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of a joint venture with Air Zimbabwe.
The President led Zimbabwe’s delegation in talks with Hainan Airlines officials.

The delegation also met officials from Anhui Foreign Economic Co-operation (AFEC), which has formed a joint venture with Zimbabwe to mine diamonds in Marange under Anjin. First to meet the President was the Hainan Airlines team led by board chairman Mr Chen Wenli.
Speaking to journalists after the meeting, Zimbabwe’s Ambassador to China, Frederick Shava, said Hainan has been in talks with Air Zimbabwe for a joint venture and the meeting was a follow up on progress.

“Hainan said they are still studying some aspects of the proposal and soon they should be able to define the nature of the relationship (with Air Zimbabwe),” said Ambassador Shava. He said should the Chinese airline agree, a marriage could be tied up with the struggling national airline, Air Zimbabwe, and help it turn the corner.
“It (the talks) has to do with a new relationship and if they agree Hainan can come in as a partner in Air Zimbabwe because they are a very viable airline themselves operating here in China and Asia,” said Ambassador Shava.

He said the AFEC executives, who included the firm’s president Mr Jiang Qing De, took the opportunity of President Mugabe’s official visit here to update him about Anjin operations in Marange.
The brief centred on Anjin’s mining operations and the assistance it gave families who had to be relocated to make way for the new mine.
Anjin and other companies mining diamonds in Marange have built houses for the affected families.

“They (AFEC officials) also talked about their pleasure that the Kimberly Process had finally allowed Anjin to sell its diamonds,” said Ambassador Shava.
On Wednesday President Mugabe met Acting Chinese President Xi Jinping, senior China Export and Import Bank and China Development Bank officials to request assistance to provide farmers with inputs, chemicals and equipment.

The Chinese authorities pledged to assist and requested for specific requirements which Agriculture, Mechanisation and Irrigation Development Minister Joseph Made said Zimbabwe would put together as a matter of urgency.
President Mugabe also appealed to China and Russia to provide leadership in international relations and protect smaller states in view of the blatant attacks they face from the resource hungry, United States and Europe.

Acting President Xi, who is tipped to take over from Mr Hu Jintao in 2013, said China would never leave its friends at the mercy of the bully West.