Interview: Mugabe's Zanu-PF rebuffs Western criticism of China's
involvement in Africa
Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe' s Zanu-PF party has rebuffed
Western media's assertions that China is not a true friend of Africa but
one that is bent on exploiting its vast natural resources.
Party national chairman Simon Khaya-Moyo told Xinhua on Wednesday
that China's relations with Africa were founded on mutual trust,
equality and a win-win situation.
"Those Western countries criticizing the relations know that China is
a powerful nation which is about to overtake the United States as the
world's economic power," he said.
"The West is going to China more often than other countries so China
is a giant and that's why they want to castigate it."
As Zimbabwe and Africa develop their relations with China, there has
been Western criticism of China's sincerity that its growing economic
interest in Africa is based on a search for raw materials to power its
economy.
But Khaya-Moyo said Sino-Africa ties started many years ago and had
continued to develop and blossom over the years. "We are obviously
working together as free nations," he said.
China had not imposed sanctions on Zimbabwe and Zimbabwe was reaping
more rewards from its "Look East" policy adopted in 2003, he said.
The Zanu-PF party chairman expressed confidence in the future of
China-Africa and China-Zimbabwe relations, saying these will continue to
be excellent, cordial and friendly.
"We shall do more and more together. We want more investment to pour
in from China and for Zimbabweans to do more business with China," he
said.
Describing the relations as cordial, Khaya-Moyo said Zimbabwe was
happy and proud of its growing relations with China.
Zanu-PF legislator and Agriculture and Irrigation Development
Minister Joseph Made said Zimbabwe was a sovereign nation which was free
to choose its friends.
He said it was not proper for Zimbabwe and Africa's erstwhile
colonizers to dictate to them who to associate with.
"I think the choice for friendship is free. You want us to forget
those who assisted us to have the right to self determination? Can the
Western colonizers choose our friends? No," said Made. HARARE, Xinhua |
