President Emmerson Mnangagwa has left for Beijing, China
where he has been invited by his Chinese counterpart President Xi Jinping to
attend the 7th Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) Summit.
The two heads of state are also scheduled to hold bilateral
talks on the sidelines of the summit.
President Mnangagwa who is accompanied by the First Lady
Amai Auxillia Mnangagwa, government ministers and Zanu PF Politburo members
left Harare late this afternoon.
The world’s second leading economic powerhouse China is
hosting the FOCAC Summit where President Xi is expected to announce new steps
in China-Africa ties.
Cooperation between the Asian country and African countries
will focus on industrial development, infrastructure, trade and investment,
human resources development, science education, culture, health, environmental
protection as well as peace and security.
The forum on China-Africa cooperation was established in
2000 as a multilateral platform for exchange and cooperation between the Asian
giant and African countries.
The forum brings together 53 African countries that have
diplomatic relations with China, the African Union Commission and China to make
55 members and Zimbabwe belongs to the grouping.
Zimbabwe and China have excellent bilateral relations
anchored in a shared history and friendship that dates back to the days of the
liberation struggle and President Mnangagwa’s second visit to China since his
ascendency in November last year is expected to inject new vitality and renew
the call for a shared future with the Asian country.
During his visit to China in April this year, President
Mnangagwa secured a number of deals among them an energy deal.
According to the government, Zimbabwe will require about 11
000 megawatts of electricity to achieve its vision of becoming a middle-income
country by 2030 and hence the huge demand for power presents vast opportunities
for China to further invest in Zimbabwe’s energy sector.
Besides energy, Zimbabwe and China are cooperating in
various other sectors.
The First Lady of China Professor Peng Liyuan will host a
conference for first ladies on AIDS prevention and control and Amai Mnangagwa
has been invited to attend the meeting.
President Mnangagwa and his wife were seen off at the
Robert Gabriel Mugabe International Airport by the two Vice Presidents Retired
General Dr Constantino Chiwenga and Cde Kembo Mohadi, Harare Metropolitan
Province Minister of State Miriam Chikukwa, government ministers, senior government
officials and service chiefs among others.
Meanwhile, Vice President Chiwenga is the Acting President.
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