BY DR MASIMBA MAVAZA
Flighting a complaint of a diplomatic nature on the embassy website is unheard of and surely meant to embarrass the nation in its own backyard. Such rudeness as displayed by the Chinese embassy was never seen in the Morden world as we know it.
The embassy overstepped and their behaviour was unparalleled.
Nations are expected to respect each other and treat each other with respect irregardless of size or wealth.
The outburst by the Chinese embassy after the misunderstanding on the budget figures was vindictive childish bullish and threatening. It went beyond diplomatic respect.
A relationship between two countries in which they send diplomats to work in each other’s country establishes diplomatic relations: countries respect each other regardless of how powerful they are or how weak the other country is.
When countries find mutual understanding they exchange diplomats. Countries you share much interest with will normally open a embassy in your country while you do the same in their country. When there are issues to be discussed the country’s ambassador will deal with the matter while representing its motherland.
These countries will deal with each other in a very respectful manner and in a manner which does not incite or cause disunity among the hosts. If the ambassador comes across issues which affects or offends his country he calls on the minister of Foreign Affairs to lodge his complaint.
The behaviour of the Chinese embassy was undiplomatic and disrespectful. The Chinese believed that there was an anomaly with the figures presented by the minister of finance in his budget statement. They took their disquiet to social media and on their website. This behaviour was disrespectful and undiplomatic.
They broke the rules of the game,Once they detected what was wrong they were supposed to approach the ministry of Foreign Affairs. Splashing their disquiet on the website was a fatal oversight. It does not matter that Zimbabwe is the one waving a begging bowl towards China as a country we still deserved some respect.It’s just not on how the Chinese decided to announce their displeasure.
There is a huge Chinese intelligence operation in Zimbabwe which is both active and assertive but in this case they have crossed a line and it needed a response.
Zimbabwe must reject any basis for this action. Also, Zimbabwe has the right, perhaps the obligation, to comment on a case concerning its credibility but the Chinese recently went too far.
Zimbabwe must do what must be done without any fear of aid cuts or interference, as the nation of Zimbabwe is not a vassal state.
It is strongly and respectfully suggested that the Chinese embassy issue a retraction of any recent statements made regarding budget here not involving them.
The Chinese embassy is learning through mistakes” is often simply neither sufficient nor admirable. Rather, it is a nuisance. The Zimbabwe government has produced its accounting figures based on the cash at hand while the chinese are working on promises and products. For example the Chinese are including the funds pledged to the parliament building. The Zimbabwean government will only include that when its finished. So the difference here is on the accounting system used not on the actual cash at hand. The discrepancy has nothing to do with human error. Both the Chinese and Zimbabwean are in the same road but different directions. The anomaly is in the accounting system and its difference. Zimbabwe does not announce budgets based on pledges.
Whichever way it seemed discreet was the word mossing in the Chinese embassy’s tantrum.
National complaints are never floated on websites. The behaviour depicts a bully and the bullied. In this case the bullied is forced to put the straight records straight.
Zimbabwe despite its problems remains a sovereign state.
