Did Mnangagwa come back from China empty handed?

That is what the private local media says. One said China told Mnangagwa that it would not give Zimbabwe any bail out unless Harare pays back Beijing loans totaling $1.5 billion first.

But a briefing on the visit by the Chinese embassy in Harare said Mnangagwa’s visit had an important impact on the Sino-Zimbabwe relations.

“VP Mnangagwa’s visit to China has important impact on the Sino-Zimbabwe relations. Now, the two sides would join hands in further implementing the outcome of President Mugabe’s State Visit to China and push bilateral relations to a new high,” the briefing said.

The briefing said both sides agreed to intensify cooperation in such fields as economic planning, transportation and infrastructure, special economic zone and industrial park construction, capacity building as well as human resource training.

“The Chinese side will join hands with the Zimbabwean side in building special economic zones and industrial parks in Zimbabwe to further stimulate Zimbabwe's economic development and transformation,” it said.

China, unlike the International Monetary Fund, does not give financial bailouts but prefers bankable projects that benefit both countries, the recipient country and itself.

Mnangagwa told the people of Bulawayo, which he said would be one of the special economic zones, that China had told Zimbabwe to prepare all the projects which it wanted to implement.

 

Briefing on VP Emmerson Mnangagwa's Visit to China

2015/07/30

I. At the invitation of the Communist Party of China, Vice President Emmerson Mnangagwa visited China from July 6 to 10, 2015.

During the visit, Yu Zhengsheng, Chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, Chinese Vice President Li Yuanchao, Wang Jiarui, Vice Chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference and Minister of the International Department of the CPC Central Committee, Xu Shaoshi, Chairman of the National Development and Reform Commission of China, and Xu Lyuping, Vice Minister of the International Department of the CPC Central Committee held meetings or talks with VP Mnangagwa. Li Yuanchao and Wang Jiarui held welcome banquets separately for VP Mnangagwa. Besides his trip in Beijing, VP Mnangagwa visited Qingdao City in Shandong Province, where he held talks with local government officials, witnessed the signing of bilateral cooperation documents and also met with many Chinese entrepreneurs.

II. This visit is successful and fruitful in promoting both political trust and pragmatic cooperation.

1. Political mutual trust strengthened.

a. Both sides speak highly of the historical friendship between the two countries and hail China and Zimbabwe as "good partners, friends and brothers". They review the progress in implementing the outcome of President Mugabe’s State Visit to China last year, saying the meeting between the two heads of states has charted the direction of China-Zimbabwe ties.

b. As this year marks the 35th anniversary of the establishment of China-Zimbabwe diplomatic ties, the two sides agree to make bilateral relations a paradigm of equality, mutual trust, support and cooperation, shared growth and common prosperity and push bilateral relations to a new high.

c. The Communist Party of China and the Zimbabwe African National Union–Patriotic Front (ZANU-PF) are ready to work together to step up high-level exchanges and strategic communications and boost the growth of bilateral relations. MOU on Exchanges and Cooperation between the Communist Party of China and the Zimbabwe African National Union Patriotic Front is signed.

2. Pragmatic cooperation promoted.

a. Both sides agree to intensify cooperation in such fields as economic planning, transportation and infrastructure, special economic zone and industrial park construction, capacity building as well as human resource training, etc. MOU on further deepening the bilateral cooperation between the National Development and Reform Commission of China and the Office of the President and Cabinet of Zimbabwe is signed.

b. The Chinese side will join hands with the Zimbabwean side in building special economic zones and industrial parks in Zimbabwe to further stimulate Zimbabwe's economic development and transformation. MOU with regard to Special Economic Zone and Industrial Park Project in Zimbabwe is signed by the Government of Qingdao City, the Ministry of Industry and Commerce of Zimbabwe, China Development Bank Corporation, and relevant Chinese companies.

c. During their meetings with VP Mnangagwa, many Chinese entrepreneurs expressed their interests in investing in Zimbabwe, which is welcome by the Zimbabwean side.

III. VP Mnangagwa’s visit to China has important impact on the Sino-Zimbabwe relations. Now, the two sides would join hands in further implementing the outcome of President Mugabe’s State Visit to China and push bilateral relations to a new high.

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