China has invited Government to talks on how the latter could benefit from Beijing’s ambitious US$1 trillion initiative – the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) – that puts Harare in line for massive trade spin-offs.

Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services Minister Monica Mutsvangwa is expected to travel to Beijing for talks in the next few weeks after Zimbabwe was identified as one of the partners under the BRI project, which seeks to expand Beijing’s trade links with the rest of the world.

The BRI, which aims to re-create the ancient Silk Road trade routes, is China’s masterplan for trade with the rest of the globe.

In an interview with The Sunday Mail on the sidelines of the Sichuan Food Festival held at the Chinese Embassy in Harare, China’s Ambassador to Zimbabwe Mr Guo Shaochun said: “Several of your senior Government officials have been invited to China to start talks for the BRI in the next few weeks. One of the officials is the Minister of Information.

“This is going to support the cooperation between China and Zimbabwe in a big way. It is going to build greater cooperation and grow relations between Zimbabwe and China. We want Zimbabwe to continue developing because it is one of our important friends.”

Further, in his speech at the food festival, Ambassador Shaochun said the elevation of relations between Zimbabwe and China from “all-weather friends” to comprehensive strategic partnership” had provided scope for greater bilateral cooperation between the two countries.

“China and Zimbabwe enjoy great friendship, President Emmerson Mnangagwa has visited China twice and reached an agreement with his counterpart President Xi Jinping to promote bilateral relationships to comprehensive strategic partnership for cooperation.”State media