News / National
Mugabe invites China's Xi Jinping to Zimbabwe
18 Sep 2015 at 06:16hrs | Views
President Mugabe bids farewell to outgoing Chinese ambassador to Zimbabwe Mr Lin Lin at State House in Harare yesterday. - (Picture by Tawanda Mudimu)
PRESIDENT Mugabe has invited China's president Xi Jinping to visit Zimbabwe. This was said by outgoing Chinese ambassador to Zimbabwe Mr Lin Lin yesterday after paying a courtesy call on President Mugabe to bid him farewell. Ambassador Lin has been in the country since 2012.
"The President has said he will issue an invitation for my President to visit Zimbabwe and I hope he will come. This will offer an opportunity for the two leaders to discuss more on ways to strengthen cooperation," Ambassador Lin said.
President Mugabe had a State visit to China last year where the two countries signed a number of deals that will see the Asian giant providing assistance in infrastructure development in areas that include transport, agriculture, water, tourism and power generation among others. Discussions are on-going to facilitate the implementation of the agreements.
Ambassador Lin said he had enjoyed his tour of duty in Zimbabwe. "In my diplomatic career I have been posted to four countries (Uganda, South Africa and Ethiopia) and I think the friendship is simply the best. The people here are friendly and our cooperation has been in all sectors.
"I am happy that my country has played a role in Zimbabwe's economic and social development and as I mentioned to the President there will be more assistance to come," he said. He said he was happy that a number of projects had took off during his tenure including the Kariba South Extension Hydro-Power project, the extension of Victoria Falls International Airport, Harare City's water and sewer rehabilitation among several others.
Ambassador Lin said President Mugabe had been invited to attend meetings on the sidelines of the forthcoming UN General Assembly with President Xi Xinping and UN Secretary General on global leadership and women empowerment and another high level meeting on enhancing South to South partnerships.
Apart from that ambassador Lin said President Mugabe would also be invited together with other African leaders to attend the Forum on Africa-China Cooperation to be held in South Africa and December.
"The President has said he will issue an invitation for my President to visit Zimbabwe and I hope he will come. This will offer an opportunity for the two leaders to discuss more on ways to strengthen cooperation," Ambassador Lin said.
President Mugabe had a State visit to China last year where the two countries signed a number of deals that will see the Asian giant providing assistance in infrastructure development in areas that include transport, agriculture, water, tourism and power generation among others. Discussions are on-going to facilitate the implementation of the agreements.
"I am happy that my country has played a role in Zimbabwe's economic and social development and as I mentioned to the President there will be more assistance to come," he said. He said he was happy that a number of projects had took off during his tenure including the Kariba South Extension Hydro-Power project, the extension of Victoria Falls International Airport, Harare City's water and sewer rehabilitation among several others.
Ambassador Lin said President Mugabe had been invited to attend meetings on the sidelines of the forthcoming UN General Assembly with President Xi Xinping and UN Secretary General on global leadership and women empowerment and another high level meeting on enhancing South to South partnerships.
Apart from that ambassador Lin said President Mugabe would also be invited together with other African leaders to attend the Forum on Africa-China Cooperation to be held in South Africa and December.
Source - the herald
