ZIMBABWE and China are inseparable.
This week we revisit the close ties between Zimbabwe and China that date back to the days of the liberation struggle.
It is important for Zimbabweans to know that back in September 1963, the then ZANU sent its first cadres for military training in the Far East country, something that proved vital for the country to attain independence.
As mentioned in our lead story, the likes of James Mudavanhu, Edison Shirihuru, Emmerson Mnangagwa and Lawrence Swoswe were there and when they returned, they had acquired vital skills that helped in the fight to dislodge white colonial rule in Zimbabwe.
Fast forward after independence in 1980.
When Zimbabwe implemented the highly successful Land Reform Programme in 2000 that saw over
400 000 black households getting the country’s prime land that was previously in the hands of about 4 000 white farmers, the West and its allies imposed illegal sanctions on Zimbabwe.
But China, among other progressive nations, stood by Zimbabwe. And when President Robert Mugabe initiated the Look East Policy, critics were all over the show.
They never thought about the cordial relations that have always existed between the two countries since time immemorial.
There was talk about China’s so-called ‘fake products’ flooding Zimbabwe.
There was talk about Chinese nationals taking over Zimbabwe. There was even talk about China ‘colonising’ Zimbabwe.
Yet in all these cases, they were wrong.
The same critics had already forgotten that it is the same Chinese who constructed the country’s biggest sporting facility, the National Sports Stadium in Harare, among other various infrastructure.
And today the same critics marvel at the state-of-the-art National Defence College constructed by the Chinese in Zimbabwe, that has in a way become the ‘pride of Africa’ as a Defence College.
The same critics take their families for outings at Long Chen Mall constructed by the same Chinese close to the National Sports Stadium.
And the same critics today are always off to the Asian giant seeking various items to sustain themselves and their business.
It is important to note that today, there are actually many exchange programmes between the Government of Zimbabwe and China. These programmes have not only changed people’s perception about the giant nation, but enhanced the knowledge of Zimbabweans on various issues be they political, economical, cultural or social.
And there is something else.
Unlike our former colonisers, the Chinese are not racist despite the fact that in these modern times, blacks are still not a common sight in their country.
Yes, the Chinese are a friendly lot.
And it’s always interesting when we visit that country how they actually take their time to touch blacks and even get photographs with black people.
It’s rare to come across racists in China and perhaps it would be correct to say sometimes it is their curiosity towards blacks that may be misrepresented as racism.
But back to 2014.
President Mugabe was in China for a historic State visit that culminated in the signing of vital mega deals that not only cemented the cordial relationship between the two countries, but that have helped to resuscitate the country’s economy.
And when President Xi Jinping landed in Zimbabwe the following year in December, Sino-Zim relations were further strengthened. And President Mugabe’s words then, summarised the ‘hidden’ truth about Zimbabwe and China when he said: “The Chinese and Zimbabweans are excellent friends, friends not just today, friends that have established their friendship back and our future will always be on the path of that.
“We are all-weather friends.
“But now our friendship is now much more than that – there being those economic agreements where China will assist Zimbabwe to develop economically.”