Story by Farai Gwaze
China – Southern African Development Community relations are set to be accelerated after President Emmerson Mnangagwa took over the SADC chairmanship.
This came out at a China-Africa relations seminar held in Harare this Tuesday.
The China-Africa relations seminar was held ahead of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) scheduled for Beijing from the 4th to the 6th of next month.
Director of the Centre for Africa Studies, Professor Liu Haifang emphasised the significance of Zimbabwe’s role as chair of SADC in enhancing China-SADC collaboration.
“Zimbabwe at this point as chair of SADC to enhance China-SADC collaboration would be very crucial. To have our President and your leader face to face to discuss similar to us here as scholars, to have those exchanges so that we can inform our policymakers and our leaders about how to help with this collaboration. I am looking forward to more China and SADC relations,” said Professor Haifang.
Executive Director of the Southern African Research and Documentation Centre (SARDC), Mr Munetsi Madakufamba highlighted the importance of the President’s upcoming visit to China for the FOCAC.
“Speaking of the President’s visit to China for FOCAC, it’s important in many ways as the President has taken over the chair of SADC. From a regional perspective, we must see the strengthening of relations between China and SADC. I have no doubt that as the chair of SADC, the matter will be one of the issues that will be in the President’s mind. Further to that, taking the Zimbabwe- China relations to the next level,” he said.
The seminar, which was held under the theme: “Strengthening relations between China and the Southern African Development Community,” provided a timely platform for scholars, policymakers, and stakeholders to engage in meaningful discussions on the future of China-Africa relations.
