By Robert Chirima

On the 45th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Zimbabwe, it is imperative to reflect on the depth and complexity of this friendship—rooted in ideological resonance, it has evolved into an "all-weather community of shared future." Looking back on this extraordinary journey, China-Zimbabwe relations have advanced steadily over the past half-century, nurtured by deepening cooperation and emotional bonds. Today, we not only commemorate history but also call for joint efforts to nurture this friendship and strive toward a prosperous future.

Forty-five years of exchanges have witnessed enduring diplomatic endeavors, shared historical memories, and evolving strategic interests, bringing tangible benefits to Zimbabwe—particularly during periods of its global isolation. Yet both nations face challenges; only through sincere dialogue and timely adjustments can the core of this partnership—fairness, transparency, and mutual benefit—be sustained. Germinated from mutual support during Zimbabwe’s liberation struggle, this friendship has matured amid geopolitical shifts, becoming a hallmark of Zimbabwe’s post-independence diplomacy. Having withstood economic sanctions, political transitions, the global pandemic, and regional unrest, it delivers remarkable benefits while requiring prudent responses to the challenges ahead.

A Legacy of Diplomatic Support and Sovereignty

China has long been a steadfast defender of Zimbabwe’s sovereignty. As early as the 1960s and 1970s, China supported the Zimbabwe African National Union (ZANU) and other nationalist liberation movements in their anti-colonial struggle. That early solidarity laid the foundation for what would become a robust and dynamic bilateral relationship built on political consensus, respect for sovereignty, and non-interference in internal affairs. Unlike some Western powers that tie political strings to their cooperation and assistance, China’s support remains unconditional — an asset that grew even more valuable amid intensified international criticism and sanctions following the land reform in the early 2000s.

In multilateral settings such as the United Nations, China has repeatedly spoken up for Zimbabwe, vetoing a punitive and overly intrusive Security Council draft resolution. This support has enhanced Zimbabwe’s international voice, created space for its domestic policy initiatives, and alleviated external pressures. In the post-colonial African context, China serves as a crucial bulwark against political isolation, with its unconditional respect for sovereignty standing in stark contrast to the neocolonial practices of some nations.

Infrastructure as a Symbol of Partnership

China’s most notable contribution to Zimbabwe’s development lies in its transformative infrastructure projects. Initiatives such as the expansion of the Kariba South Hydropower Station, the upgrading of Victoria Falls International Airport, and the construction of the National Defense College which was funded through preferential loans or public-private partnerships provided key assets that Zimbabwe could not have afforded on its own. These projects have reshaped Zimbabwe’s logistics network and development landscape, closely aligned with President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s "Vision 2030," which aims to transform Zimbabwe into an upper middle-income economy characterized by improved quality of life, economic growth, poverty reduction, infrastructure development, and enhanced public service delivery.

Infrastructure cooperation delivers both short- and long-term value. It creates jobs during construction and sustains regional connectivity, industrial vitality, and improved public services afterward. The expansion of Kariba South has enhanced power supply stability for millions of people, while the upgraded Victoria Falls Airport has fueled tourism growth and supported Zimbabwe’s integration into regional and global trade networks.

Support in Education, Health, and Capacity Building

China’s support extends beyond infrastructure to education and health, advancing Zimbabwe’s sustainable development goals (SDGs). Thousands of Zimbabwean students have pursued studies in China through Chinese government scholarships, covering fields such as engineering, medicine, and agriculture, and many now play leading roles in national development. Education funding and scholarships expand literacy and skills; healthcare partnerships improve access and outcomes; training programs boost human capital; technology transfer enhances health services; and collaborative research supports evidence-based policymaking. In healthcare, China has provided not only medical teams, equipment, and vaccines (critical during the COVID-19 pandemic) but also focused on capacity-building, enhancing local healthcare capabilities through technical training and telemedicine.

Such cooperation embodies the humanistic warmth of bilateral relations, fostering people-to-people ties and complementing infrastructure development. The accumulation of human capital enables Zimbabwe to absorb foreign technologies and drive industrial upgrading, ensuring the sustainability of its development progress.

Economic Lifeline During Isolation

When Western nations imposed severe sanctions, China stepped in as Zimbabwe’s economic lifeline. Chinese enterprises are active in core sectors such as mining, construction, communications, and agriculture, bringing capital, technology, and reassurance that Zimbabwe still has a place on the global stage. Amid the harshest sanctions, China-Zimbabwe trade grew against the trend, with China serving as a stable market for Zimbabwe’s key exports like tobacco and minerals, easing economic pressures and laying the groundwork for recovery.

Emerging Challenges: Trade Imbalance and Debt Transparency – Seeking Sustainable Balance in Mutually Beneficial Cooperation 

A well-balanced China–Zimbabwe partnership recognizes both significant gains and persistent challenges, and emphasizes transparency, mutual benefit, and shared responsibility. In terms of trade gains, Zimbabwe’s exports to China, notably tobacco, platinum, and lithium, are expanding, while China supplies Zimbabwe with manufactured goods, machinery, electronics, and textiles. This reflects complementary specialization and the benefits of an integrated supply chain. On the positive note, China is expanding market access for Zimbabwe’s specialty agricultural products, promoting agro-processing zones, and supporting technical cooperation to boost local value addition. Zimbabwe’s processed agricultural products are increasingly finding a market in China, including through e-commerce. Objectively, China has taken steps to promote trade balance, such as expanding market access, and offering zero-tariff treatment for Zimbabwe’s agricultural produce and supporting the construction of agricultural processing parks. Positive signs include the growing share of Zimbabwean tobacco in the Chinese market and the entry of processed agri-products into Chinese e-commerce platforms. Addressing this imbalance requires Zimbabwe to accelerate industrialization and increase product value addition, paired with greater technological transfer and industrial cooperation from China.

To assist Zimbabwe to come out of debt, China has supported debt relief measures during stress periods (e.g., G20 Debt Service Suspension Initiative) and participated in debt restructuring. Both sides have shown willingness to collaborate toward sustainable financing. Addressing debt-related challenges is crucial but there is need to diversify and upgrade exports and this requires efforts from both sides. Zimbabwe need to invest in value-added processing, logistics, and manufacturing capabilities to reduce dependence on raw commodity exports and create domestic value chains. Leverage agro-processing and tourism to diversify revenue streams and strengthen repayment capacity. To enhance debt transparency and governance, there is need to establish a unified debt-information framework, disclose loan terms clearly, and align borrowing with Vision 2030 priorities. Use revenues from stable projects to improve debt sustainability. There is also need to expand sustainable financing by developing non-debt instruments such as public-private partnerships (PPPs) and equity arrangements to ease debt burdens while maintaining project momentum and also strengthening institutions and governance by building capacity for debt management, project evaluation, and transparent use of funds. Improve coordination with international financial institutions to ensure alignment with best practices. For China, further improving debt transparency is crucial, including clear disclosure of key terms in loan agreements and enhanced coordination with international financial institutions to prevent unsustainable debt accumulation. China could also explore more non-debt financing models, and equity cooperation, to alleviate Zimbabwe’s debt burden. There is also need to foster broader external accountability by encouraging responsible behavior from all major creditors, while avoiding double standards in debt relief and financing terms to create a stable, predictable external environment for cooperation. A balanced China–Zimbabwe relationship should continue leveraging complementarities in trade and investment, while deepening transparency, governance, and diversification to build a more resilient, inclusive growth path.

Labour Conditions and Environmental Standards

Public discussions in Zimbabwe have occasionally highlighted concerns related to labour practices and environmental management in a small number of Chinese-invested projects. Matters such as wage levels in relation to work intensity, occupational safety provisions, environmental rehabilitation timelines, and community engagement have drawn attention within civil society and the media. While these concerns deserve thoughtful engagement, they should be understood within a broader development context and addressed through cooperation rather than criticism. If proactively managed, such issues can become opportunities to further strengthen trust, mutual understanding, and the long-term sustainability of China–Zimbabwe cooperation.

Importantly, these challenges are not unique to Chinese enterprises. Similar issues arise across many cross-border investments globally, particularly in infrastructure and resource-based projects in developing economies where regulatory systems continue to evolve and enforcement capacities differ. In Zimbabwe, variations in regulatory clarity, enforcement consistency, and coordination mechanisms have affected the oversight of several foreign-funded projects. This reflects a common development balancing act: attracting much-needed investment while steadily enhancing protections for workers, communities, and the environment. Simplifying these complexities or assigning responsibility to a single partner does not reflect the shared nature of development cooperation.

Chinese enterprises have an opportunity to further strengthen their positive impact by deepening localization efforts, enhancing compliance systems, and expanding social responsibility initiatives. Aligning international best practices with Zimbabwe’s legal frameworks and community priorities can help projects deliver broader social value. Looking ahead, a collaborative governance approach offers a constructive path forward. Zimbabwe can continue refining regulatory frameworks and ensuring transparent, consistent implementation, while China can support enterprises in promoting skills transfer, local employment, environmental stewardship, and community development. Joint dialogue platforms, cooperative oversight mechanisms, and third-party assessments can further reinforce transparency and confidence, ensuring that China–Zimbabwe cooperation remains a mutually beneficial and forward-looking partnership.

Public Perception and National Identity: Strengthening the People-to-People Foundation Through Communication and Mutual Trust  

Although Zimbabwe’s leadership continues to promote cooperation with China, and such collaboration has delivered many tangible benefits, public perception of the relationship is increasingly diverse and fragmented—a phenomenon that merits serious attention. Among certain segments of the population, particularly youth groups, civil society organizations, and intellectuals, concerns regarding China-Zimbabwe cooperation tend to focus on three main areas: first, a worry that excessive reliance on Chinese loans and investment could weaken Zimbabwe’s economic autonomy and policy flexibility; second, a perception that the benefits of some cooperative projects disproportionately flow to elite circles, leaving ordinary citizens without a fair share of developmental gains; and third, a misunderstanding of China’s motives for cooperation, influenced by one-sided Western media coverage, which often amplifies isolated cases of corporate misconduct as evidence of a “systematic Chinese strategy in Zimbabwe.” 

These concerns arise partly due to information asymmetry and partly reflect the insufficiently timely or inadequate response to public sentiments in the largely “top-down” approach to cooperation. In reality, the positive impact of China-Zimbabwe cooperation on people’s livelihoods is evident: the upgraded Victoria Falls International Airport has boosted local tourism and created thousands of jobs; the expanded Kariba South Hydroelectric Power Station has significantly improved the stability of Zimbabwe’s electricity supply, benefiting millions of households and businesses; and Chinese medical teams have provided essential healthcare services to countless underserved communities in remote areas. However, these outcomes have not fully translated into broad public recognition, largely due to a “communication deficit”—insufficient consultation with local communities during the planning, construction, and operational phases of some projects, coupled with delayed information disclosure, which has left the public unclear about the distribution of benefits, environmental impacts, and long-term value of such initiatives. 

At the same time, the skepticism among young people reflects deeper needs related to the construction of Zimbabwe’s national identity. As a post-colonial nation, Zimbabwe’s sense of national identity and sovereignty has long been intertwined with “resisting external interference and pursuing self-determined development.” The younger generation, raised in an era of globalization, aspires to national progress through international cooperation yet remains highly vigilant against any external influence perceived as threatening national sovereignty or dignity. This complex mindset demands that China-Zimbabwe cooperation move beyond the narrow dimension of “intergovernmental engagement” and extend into the deeper realm of “people-to-people connectivity.” 

A two-way China–Zimbabwe partnership should center participatory governance and transparent benefits. Key steps: establish regular public dialogue with youth and community representatives for project oversight; visibly communicate cooperation outcomes through local media and community activities, highlighting employment, income growth, and public service improvements; deepen people-to-people exchanges, including youth, academic, and cultural programs to counter information bias; and promote localization by increasing local hiring, especially in management, and developing local supply chains. This approach ties development gains to national identity, reinforcing pride and cohesion as Zimbabwe advances toward Vision 2030, proving that independently chosen cooperation can yield better development for all citizens.

Towards a More Equitable and Transformative Partnership

Looking ahead, the new phase of China-Zimbabwe friendship should focus on "transformation" rather than mere "continuation," transcending the traditional "aid-recipient" model to build an equal and innovative partnership centered on common prosperity. Zimbabwe should leverage its human capital, natural resources, and geographical advantages to secure better cooperation terms, promoting technological transfer and industrial upgrading; China should adopt a more inclusive development approach that emphasizes institutional improvement, rights protection, and environmental sustainability, ensuring cooperation dividends benefit a broader segment of the population.

Conclusion

The 45-year friendship between China and Zimbabwe has borne rich fruits: diplomatic support, infrastructure upgrades, education and health assistance, and economic aid have profoundly consolidated Zimbabwe’s sovereignty and development aspirations. For this relationship to thrive sustainably, both sides must engage in sincere reflection and make dynamic adjustments, focusing on implementation quality, transparency, and grassroots participation to deepen and broaden cooperation.

As Zimbabwe pursues Vision 2030, the China-Zimbabwe partnership must keep pace with the times, rooted in shared values, mutual respect, and a vision for prosperity. By forging an inclusive, ethical, and people-centered cooperation model, this historic friendship will serve as a model for sustainable cooperation in Africa and beyond, writing a new chapter in South-South cooperation.