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During his visit to China as Vice President in 2015, Zimbabwe’s new President, Cde Enmerson Mnangagwa, vowed to promote political confidence and pragmatic cooperation between the two countries

Jamal Laada & Wang Li Correspondents
TO most people who believe in the doctrine of power politics, what China needs from Africa is only to guarantee its consistent supply of natural resources, open new markets and create strong alliances in Africa. Meanwhile, Africa in general can receive investment and multiple aid from China.

This is quite superficial with regards to the Sino-African relations. China has long stated that the two sides have shared the same past experiences of the Western powers’ exploitation and also have the future destinies shared to become peaceful and prosperous states in the world. Behind this long-term relationship are their mutual respect, reciprocal understanding and high-level personal friendship.

Historically, it can be traced to the mid-1950s, especially after 1963 that Chinese relationship with Africa has been the foundation of Beijing’s foreign policy strategy.

Due to this, China’s stance on the resignation of former Zimbabwe President Robert Mugabe is clear and consistent: “As a good friend of Zimbabwe, China appreciates the efforts of various parties in Zimbabwe to properly resolve the relevant issue through dialogue and negotiation within the legal framework with a view to the long-term and fundamental interests of the nation. China deems that the Zimbabwean people are capable of maintaining political stability and national development.”

Behind this soft tone is that China is opposed to any great powers’ interference with the domestic affairs of Zimbabwe. For example, China argues that only the Zimbabwean people who will run their own business and other countries will not be allowed to dictate the future direction of Zimbabwe’s politics.

Yes, China and Zimbabwe have enjoyed friendly relations for a long time. Both peoples have stood the test of time and ever-changing international landscape. In recent years, the practical cooperation in various fields between the two sides has continuously moved forward and brought tangible benefits to each other. China highly values its relations with Zimbabwe and stands ready to work with various parties of Zimbabwe to promote Sino-Zimbabwean friendship and across-the-board cooperation.

For example, two Chinese state-owned companies – South Locomotive and Rolling Stock Co. (CSR) – jointly signed an agreement with Cde Mugabe’s government in 2009, in exchange for an $8 billion investment in infrastructure with supply of Chinese equipment and technologies. Moreover, the Chinese are aware that the stability and development of Zimbabwe would serve the local people’s interests and are the shared aspiration of the African and the global communities.

As noted, the Chinese have indeed cherished the personal friendship with Cde Mugabe. Even though it is reported that the Beijing leaders are a little bit disappointed about rampant corruption, China hopes Zimbabwe sustains stability and security without any chaos.

After all, Cde Mugabe remains seen as making historic contribution to Zimbabwe’s national independence and liberation from the former colonial ruler. He is also an active advocate and promoter of the Pan-African movement. To most Chinese who have witnessed the past three decades, Cde Mugabe has long been committed to Sino-Zimbabwe friendship and made important contributions to the mutual strategic partnership. Although China welcomes CDe Mugabe’s decision to resign as the Head of State, he is still seen as “a good friend of the Chinese people”. On November 24, just days after Cde Mugabe’sresignation, his former deputy Cde Emmerson Mnangagwa was sworn in as the President. He was a guerilla leader during the Rhodesian bush war.

After Zimbabwe became independent in 1980, Cde Mnangagwa held a series of senior Cabinet positions under Cde Mugabe, including as Minister of State Security and later Minister of Defence. More important is that Cde Mnangagwa had received both his military training and political leadership in the Beijing School of Ideology during the pre-independence campaign.

Clearly, Chinese leaders have been well-familiar with this new President. As early as his visit to China as VP of Zimbabwe in 2015, Cde Mnangagwa vowed to promote political confidence and pragmatic cooperation between the two sides, since China agreed to provide all assistance in economic planning, transportation and infrastructure, Special Economic Zones and industrial park construction, capacity building as well as human resource training to Zimbabwe.

In China, Cde Mnangagwa expressed his desire to welcome Chinese entrepreneurs to invest in Zimbabwe. This is one of the core reasons behind China’s official line that “China’s friendly policy towards Zimbabwe remains unchanged. We stand ready to proactively enhance the exchange and cooperation with Zimbabwe and scale China-Zimbabwe friendship to new heights in the principle of equality, mutual benefit and win-win cooperation”.

China’s policy towards Africa is of long-term strategic dimension. Therefore, China has insisted on three tenets in terms of the crisis management in Africa generally and in Zimbabwe this time. First, China appeals to all parties of Zimbabwe that they should put aside their differences with a view to striving for a peaceful and proper settlement of the relevant issues under the legal framework and in light of Zimbabwe’s national stability and social order.

Actually, this is the consensus among the social elites and the ordinary people as well throughout the country. Second, China hasa vast array of investments in Zimbabwe which have the potential to become one of the most dynamic economies and prosperous countries in Africa. By 2015, China had invested nearly US$400 million, much more than many other FDI sources, into Zim- babwe.

Presently, Chinese firms in Zimbabwe are the most dominant ones among foreign firms. When Cde Mugabe made his State visit to China in 2015, during which he held meetings with Chinese President Xi Jinping who confided to him that “China won’t forget its old friends”.

Third, China has consistently taken a friendly policy towards Zimbabwe, and their cooperation is comprehensive and beneficial to both peoples. Due to this, Beijing looks forward to consolidating the further cooperation with Zimbabwe in accordance with the principle of equality, mutual benefit and win-win cooperation, no matter who takes power in Harare.

Now, Cde Mugabe is gone finally. But Africa’s rising exposure to China has led to larger exports to China thus helping boost economic growth on the continent. The introduction of the New Strategic Partnership has further cemented Sino-African relations and reinforced China’s commitment to mutual economic benefit policy towards Africa. It is widely noted that just one week ago before Cde Mugabe was advised to step down, General Constantino Chiwenga, Commander of the Zimbabwe Defence Forces, paid a “normal” working visit to China.

During their meetings with the Chinese counterparts, both sides had opined that it is significant to push forward and to further strengthen mutual exchanges at all levels, deepen pragmatic cooperation in various fields, so as to promote further development of bilateral state and military relations between the two countries. Given the sanctions against Zimbabwe over the past two decades, China has been the largest military hard-ware supplier, along with its growing economic clouts. Zimbabwe has purchased from China all sorts of military equipment such as air defence radars, aircraft and much other medical equipment; inclusive are China’s military advisers and mechanical technicians who have worked with their Zimbabwean counterparts.

With a new chapter turned in Zimbabwean history, its new President vows to develop the economy as the priority of his political agenda. No matter how he takes the inspirations from Deng Xiaoping’s reforms and Chinese lessons, it is clear that the new administration headed by the old veteran guard reached out to the world that: “We want change in Zimbabwe. And I’m prepared to work for any political party that can change our country from poverty to prosperity.” This is really the opportunity for China to act as a responsible power in terms of poverty alleviation in Zimbabwe and acting as the promoter of political stability in Africa as well.

Let’s see how the leadership in Beijing reacts to their old friend’s needs in Harare taking a new road towards domestic reform and international openness. – Modern Diplomacy