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Elliot Ziwira-Senior Reporter

China has debunked claims that Zimbabwe mortgages its natural resources to get funding from the Asian economic powerhouse, underscoring that the two countries’ ties will be boosted this year in line with the imperatives of National Development Strategy 1 and national Vision 2030.

This comes as the New Parliament Building in Mount Hampden, about 18km north west of Harare, and the National Pharmaceutical Warehouse, built with grants from China, have been completed and are awaiting handover. 

Speaking at a press briefing in Harare yesterday, Chinese Ambassador to Zimbabwe, Mr Guo Shaochun said China is guided by basic principles in its Africa policy, chief among them being non-pursuit of “selfish political gains through investment and financing” collaboration with the continent.

 Also key in the two countries’ cooperation are five features, which are recipient-driven, transparency, flexibility, no political or other strings, and win-win cooperation. “China and Zimbabwe will achieve a bumper harvest of cooperation this year,” Ambassador Guo said. 

 “There is a false claim that Zimbabwe uses its natural resources as collateral to get China’s funding. Let me make it clear. No agreements between the two countries and no articles in these agreements are about how Zimbabwe should contribute its resources to China.”

 He said as more fruits are ripening in China-Zimbabwe cooperation, more projects are lined up for implementation. 

Ambassador Guo highlighted the progress made at the Hwange Thermal Power Station expansion, developments at Robert Gabriel Mugabe International Airport, phase three of NetOne’s mobile broadband upgrade, and investments by Dinson Iron and Steel Company through China’s Tsingshan Group, among others, saying billions of dollars have been “poured into the Zimbabwean market.”

 “China is committed to supporting Zimbabwe’s development in various sectors under the framework of FOCAC, BRI and South-South Cooperation. China-Zimbabwe cooperation will serve as a boost for the implementation of NDS 1 and the attainment of the 2030 Vision of Zimbabwe,” he said. 

 Looking forward, he said more China-aid projects have been approved, including the drilling of another 300 boreholes in areas affected by Cyclone Idai; and the second phase of Zimbabwean Centre for High Performance computing, Anti-Narcotics Laboratory.

 On the United States of America House Speaker, Nancy Pelosi’s recent visit to China’s Taiwan Region, Ambassador Guo stressed that there was only “one China in the world”, of which Taiwan is “an inalienable part.” 

“The UN General Assembly Resolution 2758 provides a solid legal foundation to handle Taiwan-related questions under the One-China principle. The three Sino-US joint communiques embody the political commitments made by China and the US, and the One-China principle is the political foundation for China-US relations,” he said.