Zimbabwe’s President Emmerson Mnangagwa was due to meet Chinese President Xi Jinping on Tuesday as he seeks economic support from a major partner that previously backed his ousted predecessor Robert Mugabe. Mnangagwa, who received military training in China when he was a young liberation fighter
Zimbabwe’s President Emmerson Mnangagwa was due to meet Chinese President Xi Jinping on Tuesday as he seeks economic support from a major partner that previously backed his ousted predecessor Robert Mugabe.
Mnangagwa, who received military training in China when he was a young liberation fighter decades ago, will be greeted by Xi at the colossal Great Hall of the People for his first state visit to Beijing since taking power.
Mnangagwa took office in November after a military takeover ended Mugabe’s 37-year reign, though he has also been accused of playing a key role in his mentor’s authoritarian regime that left the economy in ruins and under sanctions.
In an interview with China’s Xinhua state news service, Mnangagwa said his trip was to “say thank you not only to the president of China but also the people of China for standing and supporting Zimbabwe during the hard times when the West imposed sanctions on us.”
He will also seek to sell Zimbabwe as a destination for Chinese investment, he said, adding that he would participate in economic forums aimed at attracting business to the country.
