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Harare Bureau
Chinese Ambassador Mr Huang Ping has commended the fruitful relations between Zimbabwe and China and reiterated that his country has contributed to the economic growth of Zimbabwe as evidenced by the number of successful projects currently underway.

He made these remarks in Harare yesterday during the launch of the Chinese New Year celebrations.

Mr Huang said progress had been made over the past year with the completion of the Victoria Falls International Airport refurbishment, the commencement of the Zimbabwe Parliament Building construction and the Kariba South Hydro Power Station Extension.

“Over the past year progress has been made, the new Victoria Falls Airport was completed in November last year where His Excellency President Robert Gabriel Mugabe graced the ceremony. The Zimbabwe Parliament Building construction and progress at the Kariba South Hydro-power Station Extension is now going on smoothly,” he said.

He said last year saw China helping Zimbabwe cope with drought through the drilling of boreholes.

“184 boreholes have been drilled by the Chinese government out of 300 boreholes in total, so as to help Zimbabwe cope with drought,” he said.

On education, Mr Huang said China handed over primary schools to Zimbabwe while a high school is currently under construction in Harare.

“The Lupane Friendship Primary School was handed over to Zimbabwe last year and the China Zimbabwe Friendship High School in Hatcliffe is now under construction and the progress is going very well,” he said.

President Mugabe recently met President Xi Jinping and the two leaders promised fruitful investments and relations.

Zimbabwe and China have enjoyed frequent high level exchanges, and in September last year Acting President Phelekezela Mpoko led a high-level delegation to the China International Fair for Trade and Investment in Xiamen, where he spoke on bilateral investment and economic cooperation.