THE Chinese government is committed to ensuring that
historical ties with Zimbabwe are mutually beneficial, Chinese Ambassador to
Zimbabwe Mr Guo Shaochun has said.
He said China is making sure that businesses operating here
do so within the confines of local laws.
“The Chinese government, in accordance with the laws and
regulations, protects the legitimate rights and interests of overseas Chinese
enterprises and citizens. And at the same time, the government always requires
them to abide by the laws and regulations of the host countries and respect
local customs,” said Ambassador Guo in a statement.
The statement was in response to Norton legislator Temba
Mliswa’s suggestion that the cooperation between Harare and Beijing was not
beneficial to the latter in light of its economic challenges.
Mr Mliswa has been at war with Chinese company Sunny Yi
Feng Tiles, which has a plant in his constituency.
On investment, Ambassador Guo said China was committed to
investing in Zimbabwe in different facets of the country’s economy and cited
the expansion of Victoria Falls International Airport, Robert Gabriel Mugabe
International Airport, Kariba South Hydropower Station as some of the
investments made by the Chinese government.
“In recent years, the Victoria Falls Airport Expansion
Project, the Robert Gabriel Mugabe International Airport Expansion Project, the
Kariba South Hydropower Station Expansion Project, the Hwange Power Station
Expansion Project and so on, which have been or are being built with
concessional loans from China, have played an important role in improving
infrastructure and self-sustaining capacity for the economic and social development of Zimbabwe. The
projects involve more than $2 billion,” he said.
He added that China has extended a US$58 million to
Zimbabwe to complete post cyclone re-construction and other projects.
“A few days ago, China decided to provide another new batch
of grant of 400 million RMB (US$58 million) to Zimbabwe to help the country complete
post-cyclone reconstruction and other important projects.
“It is not only logically absurd, but also morally
untenable to simply blame that Zimbabwe’s economic difficulties can be
attributed to China’s investment not being good for Zimbabwe. It is universally
recognised that whether a country can get rid of poverty and achieve
sustainable development mainly relies on its own efforts,” he said.
Responding to some accusation by Mliswa that during the
construction of the new Parliament building, mineral extraction is the order of
the day, the Ambassador said the parliament project in is financed by the grant
from the Chinese Government.
“The New Parliament Project is a project financed by the
grant from the Chinese government. It does not have any attached project, nor
does it spend a single penny from the Zimbabwean government’s coffer.
“This project is a manifestation of the profound friendship
between the two governments and the peoples of China and Zimbabwe and brooks no
one’s smear or distorting,” he said.
He added that the two countries enjoy a profound
traditional friendship.
“China-Zimbabwe relations will not be affected by slander
or vilifying by any individual. The Chinese embassy in Zimbabwe is firmly
opposed to the move by certain individual or media to undermine the friendship
and cooperation between the two countries through flinging abuses, fabricating
rumours and malicious slander.
“This does no good to Zimbabwe’s own development. We
sincerely hope that the Zimbabwean side will continue to create a more
favourable environment for all foreign direct investment, including Chinese
enterprises,” he added.
The two countries have always rendered each other strong
support on issues concerning each other’s core interests.
On the tile plant Ambassador Shaochun said the Chinese
embassy attaches importance to Mr Mliswa’s criticisms and proposals concerning
the tiles factory and has since coordinated the two sides to solve the problem
through dialogue and consultation on several occasions.
“With the facilitation of the Chinese embassy, the dialogue
between the two sides is still going on and we expect it to produce positive
results. If the relevant issues cannot be resolved through consultation, the
two sides may settle them rationally through legal channels,” he said. Herald
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