Premier Li Keqiang met with Zimbabwe’s President Emmerson Mnangagwa at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on April 4.

Zimbabwe is an important partner for China in Africa, Premier Li said. Talks between President Xi Jinping and Mnangagwa on April 3 were productive, and the two sides agreed to establish a comprehensive strategic partnership of cooperation. China stands ready to work with Zimbabwe to jointly lay out a new blueprint for bilateral cooperation based on sincerity, friendship and equality.

The Premier said that China is willing to share complementary advantages with Zimbabwe, innovate cooperation modes and deepen cooperation in infrastructure construction, agriculture, production capacity and human resources. The Chinese government encourages enterprises to conduct business cooperation in Zimbabwe and will make every effort to assist Zimbabwe and achieve mutual benefit and win-win development.

For his part, Mnangagwa said Zimbabwe and China enjoy a profound traditional friendship. The Zimbabwean government stands committed to further strengthening friendship between the two countries, consolidating political mutual trust and enhancing cooperation in such areas as trade, infrastructure construction, energy, agriculture and tourism on the basis of mutual benefit. In line with the comprehensive strategic partnership of cooperation, the Zimbabwean government will boost ties between the two countries to a new level.

He Lifeng, head of the National Development and Reform Commission, also attended the meeting.