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President Mnangagwa is expected back home today after a very fruitful week in China.

He was in the Asian country for a State-visit and to attend the 9th Forum for China-Africa Cooperation.  

The President had a packed itinerary which saw him visit Shaoshan, the hometown of Chinese revolutionary Mao Zedong and Nanjing where he did military training in 1964; engaged his Chinese counterpart, Xi Jinping and a number of influential businesspeople, had some media engagements, oversaw the signing of 17 agreements with China and addressed a high-level meeting on state governance at Focac.

President Mnangagwa and President Xi Jinping

Indeed, the President’s latest visit to China was as much about looking back as it was about moving forward.  

He went back to 1964 when, as a lad, he underwent military training with his four colleagues to later return home to fight for the liberation of their country.  By visiting Shaoshan, the President went back to Chairman Mao’s revolutionary past which founded the giant that we know China to be today.  

After stepping decades back, the President moved to engage businesses, President Xi and attended Focac, a collaboration that seeks to consolidate Africa’s ties with China for greater socio-economic development. 

Truly pregnant with meaning. So much about the Sankofa principle.  Our past and our experiences are the basis for our future, our growth. We cannot have a future if we don’t consider our past.

At his various engagements this week, President Mnangagwa thanked China for supporting our liberation struggle and the ongoing fight against Western sanctions.  He lauded the trade and investment partnership between Harare and Beijing and called for more.  

We are particularly encouraged by the 17 deals in agriculture, mining and infrastructure development that his delegation signed with their Chinese counterparts. They must be advanced most vigorously for the betterment of our economy.  

Concluding his tour of duty yesterday, the President, in an address at the 8th Conference of Chinese and African Entrepreneurs said now is the best time for China to invest in Zimbabwe in sectors that include mining, agriculture, infrastructure development, manufacturing, services, transport, engineering, biomedicals, ICT, energy and tourism.

“With a highly literate population and skilled human capital, we are fast becoming a knowledge-driven and industrialising country. Coupled with an abundant and diverse, rich mineral resource base, Zimbabwe is a favourable destination for investments in high-tech industries, new energy components, and equipment,” he said.

In the keynote address at Focac on Thursday, President Xi extolled the all-weather relationship that exists between his country and Africa.  He pledged $50bn worth of Chinese investment into Africa over the next few years.  

We welcome that commitment, confident that, given the strong pitch that the President made on top of the already strong friendship we have with China, our country will receive a huge portion of the $50bn that President Xi promised for the continent. 

That is the diplomatic and economic partnership we want.  One that is based on mutual friendship, trust and respect.  It is the most sustainable one, not the paternalism that the Westerners have sought to foist upon Africa.