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ZIMBABWE is keen to secure joint venture partnerships with Chinese companies aimed at boosting agricultural production targeting selected crops, which will be processed locally and exported to the giant Asian market.

China has committed to undertake 10 poverty reduction and agricultural projects for Africa under the broader China-Africa Cooperation drive.

This will see China sending about 500 agricultural experts to Africa, including setting up a number of China-Africa Joint Centres for modern agro-technology exchange, demonstration and training in China.

China is Zimbabwe’s key ally and the two countries enjoy cordial bilateral relations dating back to pre-independence times.

On Tuesday Cabinet discussed the range of opportunities for Zimbabwe through this framework among other strategic partnership gains.

This emerged after a presentation of a report on the recent 8th Ministerial Conference of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (Focac) by the Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Trade, Dr Frederick Shava.

“The Government of Zimbabwe will ensure that Chinese companies work together  with local farmers in joint ventures to  grow crops such as soyabeans, cotton, groundnuts and tobacco, which are in demand in China,” said Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services Minister Monica Mutsvangwa in a post Cabinet media  briefing.
“These crops will be processed before export in line with the Focac Vision 2035 on promoting secondary industry in Africa.”

The minister said China has pledged to relax restrictions for African agricultural exports, through speeding up of the inspection and quarantine procedures, as well as increasing the scope of products enjoying zero-tariff treatment.

The interventions are expected to result in US$300 billion in total imports from Africa over the next three years, she said.

“China will also provide US$10 billion of trade finance to support African exports, to build a pioneering zone for in-depth China-Africa trade and economic cooperation, and to build a China-Africa industrial park  for Belt and Road Cooperation,” said the minister.

During the conference, Minister Mutsvangwa said China also committed to scaling up support to Africa in the area of health sector development, cultural exchange, peace and security, climate change mitigation, investment promotion and digital innovation.

Under the medical and health programme the minister said China pledged to provide one billion doses of Covid-19 vaccines, including 600 million as direct donations and 400 million doses to be jointly produced by Chinese and identified African countries in order to help Africa achieve its goal of vaccinating 60 percent of its population by 2022.

“Zimbabwe will make a submission to be one of those African countries,” she said.

On cultural exchange programmes, China has said it will support African countries it has diplomatic ties with, with approved destinations for Chinese tourist groups as well as facilitate mutual exchange film festivals.

As part of the engagement and re-engagement drive, Dr Shava also held meetings with his counterparts from China, Senegal and Ethiopia on the sidelines of China-Africa Forum.

“To benefit more from Focac, Zimbabwe will prepare bankable projects to take advantage of these Chinese initiatives,” said Minister Mutsvangwa.

The Focac Conference was from 29 to 30 November, 2021 in Dakar, Senegal, under the theme: “Deepening the Sino-African Partnership and Promoting Sustainable Development to Build a China-Africa Community with a Shared Future in the New Era.”