Chinese ambassador to Zimbabwe, Zhou Ding, has reaffirmed China's commitment to supporting the country’s agricultural modernisation and rural development, pledging deeper cooperation between the two countries.
Speaking at the Second Harare Forum for Africa on Tuesday, Zhou praised Zimbabwe’s policy of promoting rural development, describing it as “the shared aspiration of the Zimbabwean people” to build thriving rural communities where every individual lives with dignity.
The ambassador highlighted China’s own experience in rural revitalisation, citing policies such as the Rural Revitalisation Strategy launched in 2017 and the 2024–2035 Agricultural Plan released in April this year, adding that these policies drove sustainable investment in infrastructure and land productivity.
"Millions of family farms, cooperatives, township and village enterprises thrive by bridging traditional farming with modern management and technology" Zhou said, underscoring the Household Contract Responsibility System, which enables farmers to retain land rights while voluntarily transferring usage rights for scaled operations.
He outlined areas of ongoing Sino-Zimbabwe cooperation, including borehole drilling, irrigation upgrades, farmer training, and the transfer of Juncao technology, which helps boost crop yields and livestock feed production. China has also partnered with UN agencies through the South-South Cooperation Fund to strengthen food security.
On trade, Zhou noted that nearly half of Zimbabwe’s tobacco exports go to China, with avocados and blueberries set to enter the Chinese market soon.
He said the new zero-tariff policy for Zimbabwean agricultural products is expected to further contribute to rural development.
The ambassador said China will remain committed to the two countries' agreement by appointment of 10 Partnership Action Plans for Modernization agreed under the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC), including the “Agriculture and Livelihoods Partnership,” supporting Zimbabwe's rural modernisation.
- Zim-China relations: Web of lies, propaganda, capture
- Zim-China relations: Web of lies, propaganda, capture
- Chinese labour abuse under probe: Govt
- Envoy defends Chinese investors
Keep Reading
As Zimbabwe and China mark 45 years of diplomatic relations in 2025, Zhou urged academic institutions, businesses, and media in both countries to engage in meaningful dialogues and deepen collaboration to meet the needs of Zimbabwe’s rural development.
