Reflections on the legacy of Jiang Zemin, China’s president from 1993 to 2003, who passed away on Wednesday, emphasized how he presided over a decade of explosive economic growth. Fewer have pointed out that he was also a key architect of China’s current relationship with Africa.
After the Mao era, emblematized by Chinese involvement in African anti-colonial struggles, the relationship went dormant as China focused on building economic ties ...
Country: Zimbabwe
Zimbabwe’s Chinese-Built Parliament Building Ready for Business
Zimbabwe's President Emmerson Mnangagwa will formally inaugurate the country's new parliament building on Wednesday. The building was financed as a 'gift' by the Chinese government and built by Shanghai Construction Group Co. After the inauguration, Mnangagwa will deliver his annual ...
China is Now Zimbabwe’s Biggest Investor
Over the past three years, China invested over $2 billion in Zimbabwe and is now the Southern African country’s largest foreign investor. This was the main takeaway of a symposium on the economic benefits of Zimbabwe-China relations, which took place in ...
Chinese-Built Plant to Turn Zimbabwe into Africa’s Biggest Steel Producer
A new Chinese-led plant could turn Zimbabwe into Africa’s largest producer of iron and steel. Zimbabwean president Emmerson Mnangagwa led the groundbreaking ceremony of the new $1.5 billion project, led by Dinson Iron and Steel, a subsidiary of the Chinese company Tsingshan Holdings.
Chinese Gold Miner in Zimbabwe Faces Labor Abuse Allegations — Again
A Chinese mining company in Zimbabwe is under fire for labor abuses. Workers at Odzi Resources Zimbabwe’s gold mine in the Mutare district accuse managers of violence and say operations often breach local laws.
How Powerful is China in Zimbabwe? New Report Counts the Ways
The prominent Zimbabwean environmental NGO, the Zimbabwe Environmental Law Association (ZELA), published a new policy brief mapping China's influence in key Zimbabwean economic sectors, including extractives, utilities and power. ZELA has been sharply critical of Chinese ...
Analysis from Cobus van Staden
Jiang Zemin Created the Africa-China Relationship As We Know It Today
Mnangagwa Says He’ll Send a Plane to China to Bring Back Engineers So They Can Finish Critical Infrastructure Projects
Zimbabwe's President Emmerson Mnangagwa said he's willing to send charter planes to China to bring back engineers and other high-skilled infrastructure experts to Zimbabwe so they can finish critical infrastructure projects. The President made the offer during a tour of the ...
Shining a Light on China’s Support for Power Plants in Belt and Road Initiative Countries in Africa and Asia
By Oyintarelado (Tarela) Moses In September 2021, Chinese leader Xi Jinping announced that China would not build new coal plants overseas. At the same time, many countries in Africa and Asia continue to seek finance for electricity-generating infrastructure to meet ...
In Zimbabwe, An Aborted Quarry Shows Need for Community Consultation
By Deogracias Kalima At the center of Mutare in eastern Zimbabwe rises Dangamvura Mountain. Dividing the city center from its southern suburbs and home to a cemetery for state heroes, it is a revered landmark traditionally considered sacred by local communities. ...
China and the Prospect of Early Retirement of Coal Plants in the Global South
By Alex Clark, Christoph Nedopil and Cecilia Springer Formerly the world’s largest public financier of coal, China has committed not to build new coal plants overseas. China has financed between 41 GW and 52 GW of currently operating ...
Split Views in Africa Over China’s Push to Build Parliaments and Other Government Buildings Across the Continent
The imminent handover of the newly-built Zimbabwe parliament building that was almost entirely paid for by the Chinese government has prompted a lively debate online about China's so-called "Palace Diplomacy" in Africa. Opinions about the new hall in Harare ...