‘Win-win between Zim, China education’
ast week, President Mugabe bade farewell to a group of
students going for various studies in China of a scholarship programme. We publish a speech delivered by Chinese Ambassador to Zimbabwe Mr Huang Ping at the event held at State House in Harare.
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Your Excellency President Robert Gabriel Mugabe, Your Excellency Dr Grace Mugabe, Honourable Dr Christopher Mushohwe, Minister of Information, Media and Broadcasting Services and Executive Director of the Presidential Scholarships Programme.
Dr Misheck Sibanda, Chief Secretary to the President and Cabinet,
Representatives from Qingdao Hengshun Zhongsheng Company,
Dear students and your family members, Distinguished guests, Comrades and friends, All protocols observed, Good Morning. Mangwanani. IT GIVES me great pleasure to attend today’s farewell ceremony for students of presidential scholarships sponsored by Qingdao Hengshun Zhongsheng Company.
First of all, I would like to extend my heartfelt gratitude to Your Excellency President Mugabe for hosting the event for those students and sending Dr Mushohwe to accompany them to China.
I still remember vividly that in August last year, it was here at the State House that Your Excellency bid farewell to students going to China.
This year, you once again take time out of your busy schedule to see off the students.
It shows the great importance Your Excellency attaches to the Zimbabwe students, to China-Zimbabwe all-weather friendship as well as to educational co-operation with China.
My appreciation also goes to Hon. Minister Mushohwe, for your excellent achievements in the management of Presidential Scholarships Programs, especially carrying out the China-related programs which we are celebrating today.
I would like to express my appreciation to Qingdao Hengshun Zhongsheng Company.
You have been consistent in fulfilling your pledge of offering 150 scholarships for students to study in China and donating US$2 million to build primary schools in Zimbabwe.
What you are doing today will become a valuable legacy for both China and Zimbabwe. I also wish to express my congratulations to all the students benefiting from this programme.
I believe you and your family have worked very hard for this valuable opportunity. You deserve a big round of applause. Ladies and Gentlemen, Today’s event is only one of the many good examples of the successful China-Zimbabwe educational cooperation.
The Chinese government is providing dozens of scholarships to Zimbabwean students every year and has donated to quite a few primary and secondary schools to Zimbabwe, such as Amai Mugabe Junior School in Mazowe, China-Zimbabwe Friendship School in Bindura, China-Zimbabwe Friendly Primary School in Lupane, and the Sino-Zimbabwe Friendship High School in Hatcliffe, etc.
The Chinese government has also donated school blocks, desks and chairs, computers, textbooks and stationery to schools all across Zimbabwe.
Thousands of Zimbabweans have taken training courses in China in recent years with the sponsorship of the Chinese Government.
We are most glad to note during the visit by vice chairman of Standing Committee of Zhejiang Provincial People’s Congress Mr Wang Huizhong to Zimbabwe in May this year, where he pledged that Zhejiang Province would provide 200 scholarships for Zimbabwean students to study in China.
The Chinese businesses and communities here in Zimbabwe have also joined hands with the Chinese government in this regard, by setting up scholarships for Zimbabwean rural students, building school blocks, and providing training opportunities to employees, to name a few.
In a word, our cooperation in educational exchanges is a win-win situation as this cooperation not only benefits the next generation of Zimbabwe and jump-start the development of Zimbabwe, but also cultivates the young champions for China-Zimbabwe relations and people-to-people friendship.
Therefore, the Chinese Embassy and businesses in Zimbabwe will continue to do everything we can to advance educational exchanges, provide more scholarships for talented Zimbabwean students and help more students unlock their potential and realize their dreams. Ladies and Gentlemen, Zimbabwe has well-educated and hard working people.
The literacy rate of Zimbabwe is the highest among African countries and the education system of Zimbabwe is unrivalled in Africa.
These achievements in education are particularly owing to the support of Your Excellency President Mugabe.
I believe, with such strong commitment of Your Excellency and the synergy between China and Zimbabwe, the students gathered here today are blessed with golden opportunities to embrace a brighter future.
Dear students, as you are leaving soon, I wish you all the best in China. I hope when you come back, you will become the champions of China-Zimbabwe friendship and make greater contribution to the revitalization of Zimbabwe.
Thank you very much, tatenda.