News / National
Chinese ambassador elaborates on Mugabe's China visit
17 Sep 2014 at 10:01hrs | Views
China and Zimbabwe signed nine bilateral cooperation agreements during Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe's recent state visit to China, as the two countries strengthened economic and political relations, Chinese ambassador to Zimbabwe Lin Lin told Xinhua Tuesday.
Lin said Mugabe's visit from Aug. 24 to Aug. 28 was successful and fruitful in promoting mutual political trust and pragmatic cooperation, and China was ready to work together with Zimbabwe to promote the comprehensive and in-depth development of the bilateral relations to further benefit the peoples of both countries.
Mugabe's visit was preceded by the two sides holding the Ninth Session of the Joint Commission on Economic, Technical and Trade Cooperation in Beijing.
The bilateral cooperation documents covered the fields of telecommunications, infrastructure financing, food donation, tourism, and student exchange programs.
Under one of the deals, the Export and Import Bank of China, or China Eximbank, will provide a 218-million-U.S.-dollar concessional loan to fund network upgrading of Zimbabwe's state- owned telecom firm NetOne, one of the three mobile phone operators in Zimbabwe.
The China Eximbank and China Export and Credit Insurance Corporation also signed Memorandums of Understanding (MoU) with the Zimbabwean government. The MoUs will enable Chinese financial institutions to fund viable projects in Zimbabwe, the ambassador said.
Lin added that some Chinese companies also signed tentative cooperation agreements with relevant Zimbabwean institutions and companies, which is an indispensable step of the cooperation laying a solid foundation for concrete cooperation in the future, citing the project joint development concerning the Gwayi Coal- Power Integrated Project in Matabeleland North province.
Lin said Mugabe's visit from Aug. 24 to Aug. 28 was successful and fruitful in promoting mutual political trust and pragmatic cooperation, and China was ready to work together with Zimbabwe to promote the comprehensive and in-depth development of the bilateral relations to further benefit the peoples of both countries.
Mugabe's visit was preceded by the two sides holding the Ninth Session of the Joint Commission on Economic, Technical and Trade Cooperation in Beijing.
Under one of the deals, the Export and Import Bank of China, or China Eximbank, will provide a 218-million-U.S.-dollar concessional loan to fund network upgrading of Zimbabwe's state- owned telecom firm NetOne, one of the three mobile phone operators in Zimbabwe.
The China Eximbank and China Export and Credit Insurance Corporation also signed Memorandums of Understanding (MoU) with the Zimbabwean government. The MoUs will enable Chinese financial institutions to fund viable projects in Zimbabwe, the ambassador said.
Lin added that some Chinese companies also signed tentative cooperation agreements with relevant Zimbabwean institutions and companies, which is an indispensable step of the cooperation laying a solid foundation for concrete cooperation in the future, citing the project joint development concerning the Gwayi Coal- Power Integrated Project in Matabeleland North province.
Source - Xinhua
