Staff Writer
Chinese ambassador to Zimbabwe Zhou Ding says Zimbabwe and China’s 45 years of diplomatic friendship is more than a milestone and projects decades of enduring solidarity and tangible achievements that have been gained by the two countries.
He made the remarks yesterday at the International Business Conference (ZITF 2025) in Bulawayo.
China and Zimbabwe have had a close, fraternal relationship since the latter’s independence.
The Asian country has an embassy in Harare while on the other hand Zimbabwe has an embassy in Beijing and a consulate-general in Hong Kong.
China was one of the first countries to open a diplomatic mission in the newly independent state in 1980, and this year the diplomatic friendship reached 45 years.
Ambassador Ding while speaking in Bulawayo said the diplomatic friendship is more than a milestone.
“As we commemorate the 45th anniversary of Zimbabwe’s independence and our diplomatic ties, we celebrate not just a milestone, but decades of our enduring solidarity and tangible achievements. China takes great pride in standing alongside Zimbabwe during its liberation struggle and serving as a steadfast partner in its post-independence development.
“For many years, China has been Zimbabwe’s largest source of foreign investment and one of its most significant trading partners. In the past year, this partnership continued to flourish: Chinese investments grew steadily, with new industrial and infrastructure projects either underway or just commissioned,” he said.
The top diplomat revealed that the bilateral trade volume between Zimbabwe and China reached a historic peak of $3.8 billion U.S. dollars in 2024 — a 23.9% year-on-year increase.
“The remarkable progress in our cooperation is inseparable from China’s own development, which has enabled it to provide greater support for Zimbabwe and Africa,” he said.
When exploring how China has achieved success and what experiences can be drawn upon, ambassador Ding said he believes that High-Quality Development stands out.
“Despite a turbulent and volatile global landscape, China’s economy grew by 5% year-on-year in 2024, maintaining its position as one of the world’s fastest-growing major economies. China continues to drive approximately 30% of global economic growth—a testament to its resilience and dynamism.
“China remains a stable anchor and dynamic engine for the world economy. And we are committed to sharing development opportunities with Zimbabwe and all our partners,” he said.
He also singled out High-Standard Opening-Up as well as innovation driven growth.
In 2024, China’s high-tech manufacturing sector expanded by 8.9%, while energy intensity fell by over 3%. From the historic Chang’e-6 lunar mission to an annual production of 13 million electric vehicles, China’s innovation momentum is unstoppable.
Breakthroughs like DeepSeek—a high-performance, open-source AI model developed by Chinese innovators—are democratizing access to cutting-edge technology, thereby bridging the digital divide for developing nations.
Ambassador Ding said by aligning innovation agendas, China and Zimbabwe can unlock new frontiers in digital economy, green technology, and skills development.
At the recent Beijing Summit of Forum on China-Africa Cooperation, Chinese President Xi Jinping announced 10 Partnership Actions to promote Africa’s industrialisation and modernisation.
President Mnangagwa’s 2024 state visit to China further solidified the partnership through 17 landmark agreements, reinforcing what is now proudly called a “five-star ironclad” multidimensional cooperation framework spanning political coordination, trade integration, security cooperation, people-to-people exchange, and global governance alignment.
Since 2018, China has empowered Zimbabwe’s sustainable development in three domains.
Academic Excellence: 3,200 Zimbabwean students have pursued degrees in Chinese universities, forming a future-ready talent pool.
Leadership Development: 2,000 officials and professionals have enhanced their management and technical skills through exchange programs, creating a network of change-makers.
Digital Transformation:
The NetOne Broadband Project, High Performance Computing Center, and projects including Huawei’s Digital Truck and “Seeds for the Future” have created over 2,000 tech professionals annually.
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