China pledges support for Zimbabwe's development

President Xi Jinping, right, meets with Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe, in Jakarta, Indonesia, April 23, 2015. [Photo/Xinhua]

JAKARTA - President Xi Jinping met Thursday with his Zimbabwean counterpart, Robert Mugabe, and pledged support for the African country's socioeconomic development.

China, Xi said, will continue to encourage its enterprises and financial institutions to explore mutually beneficial financial cooperation with their Zimbabwean counterparts so as to help fund Zimbabwe's vital infrastructure construction.

Beijing also supports them participating in the construction of Zimbabwe's special economic zones and beefing up bilateral cooperation in such areas as agriculture, manufacturing, education and medical care, Xi added.

Referring to Mugabe's state visit to China in August last year, Xi recalled that the two leaders agreed then to turn their countries into good friends, good partners and good brothers that treat each other as equals, support each other and pursue win-win common development.

Noting that this year marks the 35th anniversary of the China-Zimbabwe diplomatic relations, Xi said he is willing to work with the Zimbabwean president to lift the bilateral relationship to a new height.

Meanwhile, Xi urged China and Zimbabwe to strengthen coordination and cooperation in such areas as the reform of the UN Security Council, the Post-2015 Development Agenda and climate change, so as to safeguard the common rights and interests of developing countries.

Mugabe, for his part, said Zimbabwe values the traditional friendship with China, and appreciates China's precious support for Zimbabwe's political independence and economic development.

Zimbabwe hopes to boost trade and economic cooperation with China so as to provide more impetus for its own economic and social development, Mugabe added.

In response, the Chinese president said that as China-Africa cooperation is entering a new era, China will stick to a right view on principle and interest and further deepen win-win cooperation with Africa in an all-round way.

Beijing, Xi added, will grasp the opportunity of the upcoming sixth Ministerial Conference of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation to promote the development of the new type of China-Africa strategic partnership, so as to bring more benefits to the Chinese and African people.

Mugabe thanked China for its huge contributions to the peace and development of Africa.