Story by Cordelia Ngara
ZIMBABWE and China are utilising every opportunity to expand the scope of existing relations for the benefit of the two countries’ citizens.
The Chinese Embassy in Harare this Wednesday hosted a ceremony to mark the 96th anniversary of the People’s Liberation Army.
During the event, the two nations took stock of their relations that date back to the time of Zimbabwe’s liberation struggle, when China provided military support.
“The role of China cannot be over-emphasised. Our relationship has been there since the liberation struggle, and we continue to do so even today and in the future. During the liberation struggle they provided us with training, medical facilities, and weapons and today we still get a lot from them, so our relationship continues to grow each day,” said Acting Minister of Defence and War Veterans Affairs, Honourable Daniel Garwe.
Chinese Ambassador to Zimbabwe, His Excellency Zhou Ding said, “It is worth noting that the PLA shares a long-lasting friendship with the Zimbabwean army, which dates to the 1960s to 1970s. The precious memories of our two armies are our solidarity and synergy between the shared legacy, which continues to shape and inject momentum into our relations nowadays. Last Friday, President Emmerson Mnangagwa commended five young Zimbabwean trainee pilots for completing their 4-year training courses in China and receiving their wings in Gweru, which vividly reflects the fraternal relations between our two countries and our two militaries.”
The relations have grown to another level in post-independent Zimbabwe with China assisting in the implementation of various infrastructure development projects like the New Parliament Building, Robert Gabriel Mugabe International Airport, and the Hwange Power Station Unit 7 and 8 expansion project, among others.
