China and Zimbabwe have agreed to upgrade their relationship, calling it an “all-weather community with a shared future.” The announcement came on Thursday during talks in Beijing between President Xi Jinping and Zimbabwe’s President Emmerson Mnangagwa.
Mnangagwa was in China for events marking the 80th anniversary of the end of the Chinese People’s War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression and the wider World Anti-Fascist War. The visit gave both leaders a chance to deepen a partnership that has grown steadily over the years.
President Xi described the friendship between the two countries as “five-star ironclad” and said it stood as an example of solidarity between China and Africa, and more broadly across the Global South. He promised that China would keep supporting Zimbabwe as it shapes its own development path and resists sanctions and external interference.
Xi also urged closer cooperation in infrastructure, mining, investment and trade. He said Beijing was ready to work with Harare to put into action the outcomes of the 2024 Forum on China-Africa Cooperation summit, roll out the Global Governance Initiative, and support the new International Organization for Mediation.
President Mnangagwa praised China’s contribution during the Second World War and said the world must continue to recognise the role China played in defeating fascism. He restated Zimbabwe’s support for the one-China principle and said his government was eager to build the new partnership announced in Beijing.
Mnangagwa also welcomed China’s recent global initiatives, such as granting zero-tariff treatment to African states, and said Zimbabwe would work with China to promote fairness and justice in international affairs.
China already invests heavily in Zimbabwe’s mining and infrastructure sectors. The decision to upgrade relations signals an even closer partnership at a time when Zimbabwe faces sanctions and struggles to attract investment from other global players.
