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Farirai Machivenyika Senior Reporter
Outgoing Chinese Ambassador to Zimbabwe Mr Huang Ping yesterday bade farewell to President Mnangagwa at his Munhumutapa Offices.

The Chinese envoy said Zimbabwe’s future was bright under President Mnangagwa’s leadership.

Ambassador Huang has been in the country since 2015 and will take up another diplomatic post in the USA.

“I am leaving with a very strong belief that Zimbabwe, with all its talented people, will have a bright future with the strong leadership of President Mnangagwa and the work of the people will ensure the achievement of the vision of being a middle income economy by 2030 if not earlier and you have my best wishes,” said Ambassador Huang.

He said the country had witnessed a number of developments during his three-year tour of duty.

“In these three years a lot of things have happened in Zimbabwe. We had a great change. We now have a new leadership with very good policy with Zimbabwe opening for business,” he said.

“In our good relations China and Zimbabwe have upgraded their relationship from being all weather friends to comprehensive strategic partnership of cooperation.

“This is the highest political positioning of our relations with foreign countries.

“With this strategic partnership we will cooperate in all the fields, in all the sectors. Economically speaking, we have synchronised our trade, our investment and lot of projects like the Victoria Falls International Airport, which has increased international flights making Victoria Falls become a regional hub of tourism. I have also witnessed the commissioning of the Kariba South Expansion Project which added 300 MW to the national grid.”

Ambassador Huang said other projects like the expansion of the Robert Gabriel Mugabe International Airport and Hwange Thermal Power Station were also in the offing.

He said the Chinese government had also assisted Zimbabwe with donations of rice to alleviate effects of droughts.

The outgoing ambassador said he would miss the hospitality of Zimbabweans, but promised to promote the country in his new posting.