Chinese Ambassador to Zimbabwe Mr Huang Ping addresses students at Zimbabwe Staff College on Tuesday

Farirai Machivenyika Senior Reporter

China is committed to practical cooperation with Zimbabwe as seen by its investment in the country’s infrastructure development, Chinese ambassador Mr Huang Ping has said.

Mr Huang was speaking to officers attending the Joint Command and Staff Course Number 30 at the Zimbabwe Staff College on Tuesday.

“We have been committed to practical cooperation,” he said. “China has been a major investment and trading partner of Zimbabwe for many years.

“China has also been the largest tobacco importer from Zimbabwe, with over half of Zimbabwe’s tobacco being exported to China every year.”

Mr Huang said some of the projects funded by China included the new Victoria Falls International Airport, the Kariba South Hydropower Station Expansion project and funding for TelOne and NetOne expansion projects.

“Zimbabwe was the largest African destination of investment for China in 2013 and is still leading African countries in terms of FDI attracted from China,” he said.

Mr Huang said the tendering process for the construction of the new Parliament Building had been finalised. The constructors were now waiting for Government to set up requisite on site infrastructure like water, electricity and roads before construction commences, he said. Turning to China’s relations with Africa, Mr Huang said they were committed to a mutually beneficial relationship with the continent.

“China and Africa are a close-knit community with a shared future,” he said. “Our cooperation is mutual help between brothers. No matter how the international situation or the world economy may evolve, there will be no weakening in China’s support for Africa.”

Mr Huang said China had committed $60 billion over three years since 2015 for investment in Africa.

“In the course of the next three years since 2015, China will commit $60 billion to Africa to carry out practical cooperation in 10 major fields, including industrialisation, agricultural modernisation, infrastructure, finance, green development, trade and investment facilitation, poverty reduction and people’s welfare, public health, people to people exchanges, as well as peace and security,” he said.