PAUL CHIKAWA
Zimbabwe Ambassador to China
Diplomacy / Zimbabwe
“Zimbabwe is proud to welcome President XI on this historic visit”
After 35 years of bilateral ties with China how do you assess the relationship and its future?
Our relationship with China is characterized by mutual benefit. The ties are significant because our relationship is complementary. China has the capital and we have the natural resources that China requires. We also need their technology to drive our development agenda. Our diplomatic relationship has spanned 35 years, and now Zimbabwe is proud to welcome President Xi on this historic visit to Zimbabwe. The past few years have been characterized by nothing but cordiality and high-level visits in both directions. The relationship has always been sound. We do not second-guess each other. We are happy with the way things are, and see that it has the potential to be more.
What have been the most successful areas of cooperation between China and Zimbabwe?
Agriculture constitutes our major trading platform. We have two major export commodities: Tobacco and cotton. We also export leather to China and our mining industry exports many of our various minerals. In return, we have imported machinery, technology, industrial and agricultural equipment, chemicals, electronic products, and more. We enjoy a trade surplus with China. When China invests, all of it is shared. Some of the investments here end up as exports to China. China benefits by being able to consume some of these exports. The scope for this being expanded is unlimited.
What are your expectations for the Forum on China-African cooperation (FOCAC)?
We are filled with a lot of expectations of producing practical and concrete results. When FOCAC started in 2000, the level of trade between China and Africa was less than $10 billion. Today, it is almost $300 billion. We can see a convergence of interest between China and Africa, and certainly, between China and Zimbabwe. Remember, you are talking to me during a time when we are the chairman of the African Union. We think that the coming conference will be the one to score major milestones.
