THE atmosphere at State House on Monday during the Chinese State Counsellor Dr Jang Jiechi’s visit was that of two nations and people joined for a common purpose.
Dr Jiechi was locked in a two-hour long meeting with President Robert Mugabe.
There was an air of unity, laughter and sharing of notes, ideas and numbers even from the representatives of various arms of Government.
There were humorous moments too such as when members of the Chinese media leaned on President Mugabe’s official vehicle while taking pictures and triggered the alarm.
The discussions were on the much publicised mega deals signed between China and Zimbabwe in Beijing in August last year.
The August 2014 deals, dubbed the mega deals, cover areas such as infrastructure rehabilitation and development, energy, mining, and agriculture, among others.
There was emphasis on the need for more co-operation in various areas.
That is how deep ties between Zimbabwe and China have become.
The message has been clear from the onset that Zimbabwe and China are not ordinary companions.
Their relationship dates back to days of the liberation struggle.
Some have preferred to call it brotherhood, while others say it is comradeship.
This is what Dr Jiechi passed on to the packed journalists who thronged the State House.
As he narrated his discussion with President Mugabe, Dr Jiechi sucked us into a new world, a new route for Zimbabwe.
The Chinese have demonstrated their capacity and ability to turn around fortunes of friendly nations.
The massive progress in Zambia is ample testimony of their ability.
On Wednesday Etv reported of a mega Chinese rail project in Ethiopia.
“Our mutual connection is that indeed a lot can be done,” said Dr Jiechi.
“I am looking (forward) to a new Zimbabwe, Zimbabwe promising hope and we wish you every success on your way forward.”
Zimbabweans are understandably looking forward to this new Zimbabwe under the wise guidance and counsel of President Mugabe with the help and support of our Chinese friends.
This new Zimbabwe obviously eradicates the one foolishly promised and propped by the forgotten Morgan Tsvangirai.
The seriousness with which the Chinese took this visit was definitely a sobering reminder to some of our Government officials who have perfected the art of sleeping on their jobs and leaving everything to President Mugabe.
Bureaucratic tendencies, inefficiency and a general lethargy have so many times cost the country potential development.
Who can forget the painful and snail pace of the Essar deal?
“We (President Mugabe and Dr Jiechi) have agreed that much progress has already been made in implementing the consensus between the two sides,” said Dr Jiechi.
“We believe that in this day and age, China and Zimbabwe should further deepen their political mutual trust and should extend that co-operation in various areas.
“We feel that there is very good connection between China’s development strategy and that of Zimbabwe.”
It is this good and mutual connection between Zimbabwe and China that has spurred the British to action.
Reports at the time of going for print were that a high powered British business delegation was expected in the country any time.
Yet the Chinese and Russians are already way ahead of others in terms of investing in the country.
Zimbabwe and China signed another landmark Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) last month on the implementation of the deals struck during a visit by members of the National Development and Reform Commission.
Under one of the deals, the Export and Import Bank of China, or China Eximbank, will provide a US$218 million concessional loan to fund network upgrading of NetOne, one of the three mobile phone operators in Zimbabwe.
The China Eximbank and China Export and Credit Insurance Corporation also signed an MoU with the Zimbabwean Government.
The MoUs will enable Chinese financial institutions to fund viable projects in Zimbabwe.
A consortium of private Zimbabwean and Chinese companies, China Africa Sunlight Energy (CASECO), signed an integrated project worth more than US$2 billion that will see the firm constructing a 600-megawatt thermal power station in Gwayi by 2017, produce 2,4 million tonnes of underground coal per year, construct the Gwayi-Shangani Dam as well as construction of Gwayi-Insukamini Power Station transmission line.
China also provided Zimbabwe a non-reimbursable emergency food donation.
Last year President Mugabe launched the Kariba South Power Station extension project.
The project, set to be completed in 2017, is expected to cost about US$533 million, of which China Export-Import Bank, which has funded several local developments, will provide US$320 million.
Then there is also the US $144 million water deal extended by the Chinese Export and Import Bank for improving water delivery in Harare.
With friends like the Chinese who needs the West?