Sino-Zim ties enter new era — envoy

SINO-ZIMBABWE relations have entered a new era and Beijing is excited to receive President Mnangagwa during his maiden visit as Head of State and Government to the Asian country in April, Chinese Ambassador to Zimbabwe Mr Huang Ping has said.

Speaking during Chinese New Year celebrations in Harare yesterday, Mr Huang said the President’s Beijing visit will likely strengthen Sino-Zimbabwe relations.

“The most important event in bilateral relations will be the State visit by His Excellency President Mnangagwa to China, which I strongly believe will map out the future development of our good relations and bring more tangible fruits to benefit our two peoples,” said Mr Ping.

“Now both China and Zimbabwe have entered a new era of great development. This year has a lot to expect as China will mark the 40th anniversary of its reform and opening up policy. The FOCAC (Forum on China-Africa Corporation) Summit will be held in September in Beijing while the International Import Expo will be held in November in Beijing.

“The past year has been of historical importance to our two countries’ relations as right after the peaceful transition of power in Zimbabwe, China sent the special envoy and CPC (Communist Party of China) delegation to Harare, a true demonstration of the commitment that China has in strengthening cooperation with Zimbabwe.”

Mr Huang said China’s economic initiatives have gained the international community’s approval and support and the Chinese Dream is connected more closely with the world’s dream.

Turning to the New Year celebrations, Ambassador Huang said the Spring Festival is a tradition and culture which has been valued for thousands of years in China and it is a time to enjoy the happy moments of life for all Chinese people.

He said with the improvement of livelihoods in China, most people now dine out more and they can now also afford to visit their families and rekindle relations with those relatives who stay far away owing to the latest and fastest modes of transport introduced in modern China.

Spring Festival or Chinese Lunar New Year falls on February 16 this year.

Millions of Chinese will return to their hometown for family gatherings or travel around the country, putting huge pressure on the transport system.

About 2,98 billion trips are expected to be made during the 2018 Spring Festival travel rush between February 1 and March 12, basically the same figure as last year, according to official Chinese statistics.