China-Africa: Zimbabwe-China scholars meet
Story by Judith Makwanya
Foreign Affairs Minister, Cde Simbarashe Mbengegwi has hailed the Sino-Zimbabwe relations and the good partnership between the Asian nation and Africans.
He was speaking at a one day symposium of Zimbabwean Academia and 17 senior scholars from China in Harare.
The symposium is aimed at crafting strategies for strengthening South-South co-operation and to deepen relations between Zimbabwe and China, and China-Africa relations.
It is a follow-up of a similar one held in 2007.
The forum is also a platform for intellectuals of both countries to make contributions to the broadening and deepening of co-operation between Zimbabwe.
Minister Mbengegwi paid tribute to China for the assistance that it continues to give to Zimbabwe and Africa as a whole, in the post-colonial era which includes non-credit development assistance, provision of social services in the health, education and infrastructure development sectors.
Cde Mbengegwi said Zimbabwe and other African countries should take advantage of China’s strong financial and human resources as well as technological expertise to develop partnerships based on a win-win situation.
Minister Mbengegwi said Zimbabwe’s look east policy has yielded benefits in the socio-economic development of the country especially in regards to support for the agricultural mechanization programme.
Chinese Ambassador to Zimbabwe, Mr Yuan Nansheng welcomed the meeting as a platform for Zimbabwe and China to explore Zimbabwe-China and China-Africa relations.
At the same symposium, Secretary in the Ministry of Regional Integration, Cde Tadeous Chifamba spoke of the challenges in the Sino-Zim relations.
The group of Chinese scholars are among leading experts in international politics and Africa study in China and most of them are visiting Zimbabwe for the first time.
(newsnet.co.zw)
Tags: Zimbabwe