Foreign Affairs and International Trade Minister, Professor Amon Murwira, has called for Zimbabwe and China to translate their longstanding diplomatic and economic ties into concrete investments, increased trade and jobs that improve livelihoods in both countries.
Speaking at the 11th Session of the Zimbabwe-China Joint Commission on Economic, Technical and Trade Cooperation (JETC) held in Harare, yesterday, Prof Murwira said the two countries had built a strong partnership that should now produce measurable economic benefits.
“Our relationship is an all-weather community with a shared future, and this relationship has been built on mutual respect, mutual benefit and cooperation.
JETC provided an important platform for both countries to assess progress made in their economic cooperation while identifying areas where the partnership could be deepened,” Prof Murwira added.
He said Zimbabwe was particularly keen to see increased value addition and beneficiation, stronger industrial capacity and investment that creates employment opportunities for its citizens.
“We must move from agreements to tangible results. We must see increased trade, increased investment, value addition, job creation and, ultimately, improved livelihoods for the people of Zimbabwe and China,” he said.
The minister said Zimbabwe’s cooperation with China should support the country’s broader industrialisation and development objectives by encouraging investment in productive sectors rather than focusing solely on the signing of agreements.
“China has demonstrated that cooperation can be translated into development, and we want to ensure that our cooperation continues to deliver practical outcomes for our people.
“JETC is therefore not merely a forum for reviewing bilateral agreements but an avenue for both countries to identify practical interventions capable of accelerating economic growth and strengthening commercial ties,” he highlighted.
The 11th JETC session comes as Zimbabwe continues to deepen its economic engagement with China, one of its key development and investment partners.
The two countries have over the years expanded cooperation across infrastructure, mining, agriculture, energy and manufacturing, with the partnership increasingly aligned to Zimbabwe’s industrialisation agenda and its drive to achieve broad-based economic development.
