China’s investments in Zim, an enemy to detractors
THIS month, China celebrated its New Year, which is a time to reflect on bilateral relations as well as economic co-operation between the Oriental State and Zimbabwe. The Sunday Mail’s Correspondent, WALLACE RUZVIDZO (WR), spoke to Chinese Ambassador to Zimbabwe, AMBASSADOR GUO SHAOCHUN (GS), on a variety of issues on relations between Harare and Beijing.
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WR: China, at the beginning of this month, celebrated its New Year. Briefly explain how the dates for the Chinese New Year are adopted?
GS: The past weeks are the holiday season for the Chinese as we celebrate the Chinese New Year, also known as the Spring Festival. This is a lunar calendar festival. The lunar calendar follows the monthly cycles of the phases of the moon. Roughly speaking, a lunar month begins when there is a new moon; the midpoint of the month is when the full moon occurs. So the date of the Chinese New Year on the Gregorian calendar varies from year to year.
WR: What is the significance of the New Year to the people of China?
GS: This is the grandest and most important traditional festival in China. Like January 1, it marks a new beginning. Families get together to take stock of the past year and wish for happier times ahead. There are important cultural rituals to follow. For this holiday, every Chinese would want to be with their family, even if it means long travels. This year’s Spring Festival also coincides with the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics, giving the Chinese people more reasons to celebrate. 2022 is the year of the tiger, symbolising power and vitality. I would like to take this opportunity to wish all Zimbabwean friends and the Zimbabwean nation the strength of the tiger.
WR: 2022 is set to see the completion of projects that include the New Parliament building, please update us on the progress of these infrastructure projects and their significance to relations between Harare and Beijing?
GS: I am glad to report that we have been able to make good progress in our bilateral projects against the backdrop of the pandemic. In 2021, we drilled 500 boreholes, bringing the total number of boreholes drilled by China to 1 000. We launched Phase 3 of NetOne’s mobile broadband upgrade. The New Parliament building and pharmaceutical warehouse are nearing completion. The Hwange thermal power station expansion and RGM International airport expansion are speeding up their progress.
The China-Zimbabwe relationship works for the people. All our joint efforts under the framework of the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership of co-operation have the same goal of making life better for ordinary Zimbabweans. This is amply shown in all these projects. Upon completion, they will give a strong boost to Zimbabwe as it works to realise the goals in NDS1 and Vision 2030. They will reinforce the rock-solid relations between our two countries.
WR: What projects are there to increase trade and business relations between Zimbabwe and China in 2022?
GS: At the FOCAC Ministerial Conference in November 2021, President Xi Jinping identified nine programmes that China intends to implement with African countries in the next three years. This is the framework for China-Zimbabwe bilateral co-operation in 2022 and beyond. A number of initiatives are being worked on and considered at the moment.
For example, under the medical and health programme, China this year will donate another 10 million doses of Covid-19 vaccines, which will further boost Zimbabwe’s efforts to attain herd immunity. This is on top of the 16, 2 million doses of vaccines Zimbabwe purchased from China and the two million doses donated by China until now.
China will continue to strengthen the partnership between Parirenyatwa Group of Hospitals and their counterpart in China and support the Zimbabwe-China TCM Acupuncture Centre, Chinese-funded Health Point Upper East Medical Centre and the Chinese medical team in Zimbabwe in playing a bigger role in consultations and treatment for more Zimbabweans.
A few weeks ago, the 19th batch of the Chinese medical team in Zimbabwe arrived in Harare. They started treating local patients as soon as they ended their quarantine. Even during holidays and weekends their doors remain open.
Under the poverty reduction and agricultural development programme, we are going to welcome another team of Chinese Senior Agricultural Experts in Zimbabwe and continue to build demonstration villages so as to raise living standards and disseminate advanced agriculture technologies to local communities and farmers.
The trade promotion programme has already got off to a good start. We have finalised the procedures for Zimbabwe to export its citrus to China.
We hope to see more of Zimbabwean agricultural products in Chinese markets. The “green lanes” in the trade promotion programme open up good prospects for bringing other fine agricultural products from Zimbabwe to China.
In other areas, like investment, digital innovation, green development, capacity building, cultural and people-to-people exchange, and peace and security, we expect to see more opportunities. China is serious about its commitments of assistance and co-operation. Real actions will be taken to implement the nine programmes for the benefit of the people.
WR: Of the US$10 billion that Chinese businesses are going to invest in Africa over the next three years, how much will be invested in Zimbabwe?
GS: Private investments from China have for years effectively complemented our inter-government co-operation and kept Zimbabwe connected to the global economy against the choking illegal sanctions. We would like to see more Chinese investors developing co-operation with their Zimbabwean partners. The Chinese government and the Chinese Embassy will keep providing information, advice and encouragement for more reputable and competitive Chinese companies to invest in Zimbabwe, but in the driver’s seat is the Government and people of Zimbabwe.
We commend the Zimbabwean authorities for taking a number of steps to improve its investment climate, such as instituting the policy of “Zimbabwe is open for business”, setting up ZIDA, and strengthening its investment policy framework. We are also grateful to the hospitality and goodwill of ordinary Zimbabweans towards Chinese investors over the past decades.
To secure more foreign investment, it is imperative that all stakeholders stay vigilant against political manipulation and take action to stop forces from damaging Zimbabwe’s investment climate.
A good investment environment is only possible when the strong regulation of the host country, objective and unbiased media and strong public support, combine. Recently, some private Chinese investors have been expressing their disappointment in the local investment environment. They are increasingly targeted by local CSOs and journalists who are paid and organised to launch a smear campaign and incite antagonism between local communities and Chinese investors.
It is imperative that all stakeholders stay vigilant against political manipulation and take action to stop some forces from damaging Zimbabwe’s investment climate. It is critical to bear in mind that isolated incidents involving one or two Chinese investors cannot be ground for attacks on the overwhelming majority of Chinese companies who observe the law, protect labour rights and the environment, respect local traditions and communities, and give back to communities.
WR: Recently, some organisations linked to the West launched an attack on Chinese investments in Zimbabwe. What do you make of such attacks?
GS: We value constructive dialogue with the general public to gather facts and opinions and promote mutually beneficial co-operation. However, pre-planned smear campaigns targeting Chinese investments and China must be denounced and deterred because they are designed to hurt the interests of ordinary Zimbabwean people.
Zimbabwe has been severely and unfairly punished by the West over its decision to take back its own land and destiny. Their openly declared intention is to make the Zimbabwean economy “scream”. But much to their chagrin, it has not been screaming as loudly as they wanted to hear. The Government and people of Zimbabwe have been working hard and China, among other international partners, has been supporting Zimbabwe. This makes Chinese investments their natural enemy.
People must realise that Chinese investments may be the apparent target of these attacks, but this is not the endgame. They are only attacked so that Zimbabwean people will suffer more and other honest foreign investors will be discouraged to come. Even in the worst case scenario in which Chinese investors are forced out of Zimbabwe, they can still find opportunities elsewhere. But the people of Zimbabwe cannot leave their country behind. Who is willing to fill the void left by Chinese investors? People must think through these questions and possibilities.
WR: What is the Embassy doing to minimize conflict between Chinese nationals and Zimbabweans at the workplace?
GS:
I would like to make it clear that Chinese investors are not initiators of co-operation projects. They come to invest in Zimbabwe through transparent procedures. It’s unfair to make them scapegoats for those disputed projects. It is a far stretch to say there are conflicts between Chinese nationals and Zimbabweans at the workplace.
The overwhelming majority of Chinese employers in Zimbabwe treat their local staff with kindness and respect and comply with Zimbabwe’s legal provisions on wages, benefits and labour rights. Skilled Zimbabweans are working in senior management positions in Chinese businesses. They have become good partners and friends with their Chinese colleagues. Good friendship is the defining feature of relations between China and Zimbabwe in all aspects. We should not be misled by the propaganda of a few.
Sometimes misunderstandings arise from differences in languages and cultural backgrounds. The Embassy has always stressed it is important for both sides to see their cultural gaps and engage in patient, cool-headed communication.
If this is still not enough for resolving disputes, we call on parties concerned to use the legal tools available to seek settlement. We also expect media practitioners to cover the relevant stories in an objective and balanced way. With the efforts of all the people respecting the facts and justice, I believe we will see less sensational headlines generated with partial or false information.