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'Mugabe not begging for cash in China'

by Staff reporter
24 Aug 2014 at 07:13hrs | Views
President Mugabe is not begging for cash in China but seeking investment.
 
Presidential spokesperson Mr George Charamba - who is part of the delegation - said the visit was meant to deepen Sino-Zimbabwe co-operation.

We are largely looking at investment of an infrastructural nature and the focus is on energy, that is coal and thermal, hard communication by way of road networks, rail, locomotives," he said. "We are also looking at areas to do with agriculture to take forward our programme of mechanisation. We are looking at strengthening the telecommunications sector, possibly broadcasting."

"Our thrust is predominantly infrastructure and in this case we are working with the cluster of infrastructure. Variku expecter kuti tichauya nema billion ari munhava (those expecting us to bring billions) don't know the strategic direction of Zimbabwe. We are looking at ourselves as the investors, we are looking at inward investment," said Mr Charamba.

Mr Charamba said some ministers under the Zimbabwe-China Joint Permanent Commission were already in China. These include Simbarashe Mumbengegwi (Foreign Affairs), Patrick Chinamasa (Finance and Economic Development), Obert Mpofu (Transport and Infrastructural Development) and Mike Bimha (Industry and Commerce).

Ministers Joseph Made (Agriculture, Mechanisation and Irrigation Development) and Walter Mzembi (Tourism and Hospitality Industry) left for China yesterday.

China's Ambassador to Zimbabwe, Mr Lin Lin, said President Mugabe's visit was expected to open a new chapter in bilateral relations between the two countries.

"In recent years, China and Zimbabwe have enjoyed frequent high-level political exchanges, sound economic and trade relations, effective financial and humanitarian aid co-operation as well as fruitful people-to-people exchanges," said Ambassador Lin.


Source - online
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