The Chinese Ambassador to Zimbabwe, His Excellency Zhou Ding, has reaffirmed Beijing’s unwavering commitment to strengthening Zimbabwe’s rural development and agricultural modernisation, stressing that the enduring partnership between the two nations continues to yield visible and meaningful results.
Addressing the Second Harare Forum for Africa at the Celebration Centre in Harare on Tuesday, His Excellency Zhou described the theme, “Rural Development and Modernisation,” as a profound reflection of both China and Zimbabwe’s shared pursuit of prosperity through agriculture.
He praised Zimbabwe’s determination under Vision 2030 and the Rural Development 8.0 Initiative to uplift rural communities and ensure “no one and no place is left behind,” aligning it with China’s own ancient wisdom that, “Only when agriculture flourishes can a nation thrive.”
The Ambassador outlined China’s rural revitalisation strategy, underpinned by cutting-edge technologies such as drone-assisted spraying, artificial intelligence-powered weather forecasting, rural e-commerce, and integrated agro-tourism models. Despite its limited arable land, he said, China has successfully sustained 20 percent of the world’s population with just 9 percent of global arable land—an achievement Zimbabwe can draw lessons from.
Turning to Zimbabwe-China cooperation, His Excellency Zhou cited major initiatives such as borehole drilling, irrigation upgrades, food aid, advanced training for farmers, and the transfer of Juncao technology. He further noted that trade between the two nations is expanding rapidly, with Zimbabwe’s tobacco already dominating the Chinese market and citrus enjoying strong demand, while avocados and blueberries are poised to debut soon.
“Both governments are now working on implementing China’s new zero-tariff policy for Zimbabwean exports, a development that will directly contribute to rural development,” he affirmed.
Reflecting on President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s successful state visit to China last year, the Ambassador emphasised that the engagement injected fresh momentum into bilateral cooperation, with both nations now committed to executing the 10 Partnership Action Plans for Modernisation adopted at the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) Summit in Beijing.
As Zimbabwe and China celebrate 45 years of diplomatic ties, His Excellency Zhou called on academia, business, and the media to take a leading role in driving stronger collaboration.
“May the Forum serve as a catalyst, igniting innovative solutions, forging transformative partnerships, and illuminating the way toward a prosperous future for China, Zimbabwe, and Africa,” he said.
