By Lloyd Takawira
Visiting Chinese Foreign Affairs Minister Wang Yi yesterday showered praise on Acting President Constantino Chiwenga for contributing towards the further deepening of relations between Harare and Beijing.
China’s Foreign Minister Wang Yi, who is also a State Councillor, met Vice President Chiwenga in Harare at his Munhumutapa Offices.
Speaking at a dinner hosted for the visiting Chinese Foreign Affairs, Acting President Chiwenga expressed the country’s optimism in attaining vision 2030.
“As you are aware, Your Excellency, we have set ourselves a target to attain the status of an upper-middle-income economy by 2030. It is our hope that these projections should take the 40th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations as an opportunity to transform our high political mutual trust into practical cooperation in economic, trade and other fields.
“Zimbabwe thanks China for its support for Zimbabwe’s economic development and post-disaster reconstruction for a long time,”said Chiwenga.
Wang Yi spoke highly of the cooperative partnership between China and Zimbabwe and praised Chiwenga for contributing to the all-round development of China-Zimbabwe relations.
“China supports Zimbabwe in speeding up the pace of reform and supports Zimbabwe in exploring the road to development in line with its own national conditions.
“China is willing to share the experience in economic and social development and governance with Zimbabwe with no reservation, and continue to provide assistance and support within its capability.” Wang Yi remarked.
The Chinese foreign minister also called on sanctions against Zimbabwe to be removed, saying they have no basis under international law and they infringed on Zimbabwe’s legitimate development rights and interests.
“The unilateral sanctions imposed by some countries and organizations on Zimbabwe have no basis in international law and they violate the legitimate development rights and interests of Zimbabwe.
“China fully supports the just aspirations of Zimbabwe and African countries to remove those sanctions on Zimbabwe,” he said.
