· The Chinese foreign minister asserted that the unilateral sanctions imposed by some countries and organizations on Zimbabwe are not based on the principles laid down under international law.
· The Chinese FM’s tour was a follow up of the China-Africa summit held in 2018.
China’s Foreign Minister Wang Yi called for lifting economic sanctions against Zimbabwe, on his trip to Harare, capital city of the country and after meeting a number of host countries’ officials.
The Chinese foreign minister asserted that the unilateral sanctions imposed by some countries and organizations on Zimbabwe are not based on the principles laid down under international law. The sanctions, he said, violated the legitimate development rights and interests of Zimbabwe.
The European Union (EU) and the United States (US) have imposed sanctions on Zimbabwe, which had greatly affected the industry, common man and governance apparatus of the country. Sanctions are allegedly for lack of progress in democratic, human rights reforms as and press freedom.
The Chinese FM’s tour was a follow up of the China-Africa summit held in 2018. He visited Egypt and other East African countries before winding up the visit in Zimbabwe. He also visited countries like Burundi, Eritrea, Djibouti and Kenya. China’s two-way trade with Africa has grown 20-fold in the recent years – surpassing the United States in 2009 – to US$204 billion in 2018.
