(Harale/Beijing Comprehensive News) Chinese -funded enterprises will become the largest investor in Zimbabwe energy and mining, showing China's support for this African country that has been sanctions for many years by Western sanctions.
According to Bloomberg, the Zimbabwe Development Bureau announced on Wednesday (November 1) that Chinese companies have obtained a total investment of US $ 2.79 billion (about S $ 3.81 billion).This total is more than four times higher than that of the second UAE, and it was also more than 10 times that of more than $ 271 million in Chinese companies' commitments last year.
Zimbabwe Development Bureau awarded a total of 3.41 billion US dollars of investment permits this year. Among the 180 applications received by officials, applications from China accounted for more than two -thirds.
The Development Bureau said that the application for investment permits from China is the highest, regardless of the number or amount, and the two areas that Chinese enterprises want to invest are mining and manufacturing.
Zimbabwe's rich lithium ore resources are the focus of investment in Chinese enterprises.Lithium is a key material for electric vehicle batteries. Zimbabwe has the largest lithium mines in Africa, and hard rock lithium reserves also ranks first in the world.
According to statistics from Reuters, in the past two years, Chinese companies including Zhejiang Huayou Cobalt, China Mining Resources Group and Honesty Lithium Group have spent more than $ 1 billion to acquire and develop a lithium mine project of Zimbabwe.
The Ministry of Mining of Zimbabwe was also announced on Wednesday. With the implementation of Chinese mining and processing projects promoted by China, a total of $ 209 million was obtained from lithium exports in the first nine months of this year, which was almost three times the same period last year.
Due to the historical reasons of the colonial period, Zimbabwe has been economic sanctions for more than 20 years in Western countries such as the United States and Britain.Foreign Minister of Zimbabwe told Xinhua News Agency that these sanctions affected all aspects of Zimbabwe. "Our business cannot conduct international interaction, and our merchants have been rejected by banks."
Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesman Mao Ning supported Zimbabwe again on October 25, calling on the United States and other Western countries to listen to the voices of justice in the international community, and to relieve illegal sanctions on Zimbabwe as soon as possible to help it develop economy and improve people's livelihood.
China is an important economic and trade investment partner in Zimbabwe for many years, and also provides help in infrastructure.Last Thursday (October 26), the new Council of Zimbabwe, which was aided by China, held a handover ceremony. The project was also the largest aid project in China in southern Africa in recent years.
According to Xinhua News Agency, Tang Wenhong, deputy director of the National International Development Cooperative Department of China, described that the new parliamentary building project is a historical monument to witness the friendship between Zhongjin.
Zimbabwe President Mnnar Gurwa thanked the Chinese government's support in the infrastructure field, as well as the hard work of Chinese builders, and look forward to further strengthening bilateral cooperation in agricultural modernization, industrialization and talent skills.
Zhang Youxia, vice chairman of the CPC Central Military Commission, met Mu Xingu, Minister of Defense, the Minister of Defense, who attended the Xiangshan Forum in Beijing on Tuesday (October 31), said that China is willing to strengthen strategic communication with Zimbabwe and cooperate closely to promote the relationship between the two countries and the two armies.Continuously developing.
