On 28 January 2026, Chinese Ambassador to Zimbabwe Zhou Ding handed over the reply letter from President Xi Jinping to veterans of Zimbabwe's liberation struggle. More than 100 attendees were present at the event, including Headman Moyo, Deputy Minister of Veterans of the Liberation Struggle Affairs, Munyaradzi Machacha, Secretary for Commissariat of ZANU-PF, Douglas Mahiya,  Secretary for War Veterans Affairs of ZANU-PF, Webster Shamu, Chairman of the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Foreign Affairs, a number of Members of Parliament, as well as descendants of revolutionary pioneers, youth representatives and media representatives.

Ambassador Zhou read out the reply letter and stated that President Xi Jinping’s letter underscores China’s commitment to the long-standing friendship between China and Zimbabwe as well as between China and Africa. China-Zimbabwe relations were tested and forged during Zimbabwe’s struggle for national liberation, and have now evolved into an all-weather community with a shared future. Practical cooperation between the two countries has yielded fruitful results, with bilateral trade repeatedly hitting new highs. He urged Zimbabwe's younger generation to carry forward this precious historical legacy and become the successors and torchbearers of the traditional friendship between China and Zimbabwe as well as between China and Africa.

The Zimbabwean representatives stated that President Xi Jinping’s letter holds landmark significance for Zimbabwe-China and Africa-China relations. Zimbabwe-China friendship is deeply rooted in shared values and the common struggle against imperialism and colonialism, and the solidarity and cooperation between the two countries will continue to empower Zimbabwe’s modernization efforts. The youth of Zimbabwe and Africa should safeguard the cherished revolutionary heritage and jointly write a new chapter in Africa-China friendship.