Two African Leaders Attend China's Military Parade

 Semafor Africa published on 3 September 2025 an article titled "Congo Brazzaville, Zimbabwe Presidents Attend China's Military Parade" by Preeti Jha.  

President Denis Sassou Nguesso of the Republic of Congo and Emmerson Mwangagwa of Zimbabwe were the only Africans among the 26 foreign leaders who attended China's military parade in Beijing on 3 September.  

Zimbabwe Displays Chinese Armor in Power Move

 Report Focus News published on 27 August 2025 an article titled "Zimbabwe Shows Off Chinese Armour as Power Tensions Escalate."

Zimbabwe publicly demonstrated for the first time Chinese assault guns and armored personnel carriers that were part of a $28 million donation from Beijing in December 2023.  China is Zimbabwe's largest weapons supplier.  The timing was linked to an effort by the incumbent government to remain in power.  

Zimbabwe Receives Senior Delegation from Communist Party of China

 Zimbabwe's Chronicle published on 20 March 2024 an article titled "China Supports Total Sanctions Removal on Zimbabwe" by Gibson Nyikadzino.  

A senior delegation from the Communist Party of China visited Zimbabwe and met with President Emmerson Mnangagwa among other officials.  The two sides praised each other highly although they did not announce any new projects or initiatives.  

China Donates Military Equipment to Zimbabwe

 Bulawayo 24 News posted on 13 December 2023 an article titled "Zimbabwe Takes Delivery of Military Hardware from China."

Zimbabwe has turned to China for military equipment as Russia becomes a more problematic source in the wake of its war against Ukraine.  China's recent donation included armored fighting vehicles, personnel carriers, ambulances, motorized water purifiers, patrol boats, minibuses, sniper rifles, machine guns, and pistols.  

China Hands Over Parliament Building to Zimbabwe or How to Milk an Aid Project

 NewsDay published on 27 October 2023 an article titled "China Hands Over New Parliament Building" by Harriet Chikandiwa.  

Zimbabwe President Emmerson Mnangagwa received from China on 26 October 2023 a new $100 million National Assembly financed by China Aid.  Mnangagwa said at the ceremony his ZANU-PF government "stands ready to strengthen synergies and to share experiences with the People's Republic of China and the Communist Party of China with regards to advancing rejuvenation and growing our economy."

The Associated Press published on 23 November 2022 an article titled "Zimbabwe's Imposing New Chinese-funded Parliament Opens" by Farai Mutsaka.

Mnangagwa hailed opening of the structure on this occasion.  The article valued the building at $200 million.

Xinhua published on 27 November 2019 an article titled "Zimbabwean President Impressed by Progress on Chinese-funded New Parliament Building." 

Mnangagwa toured the site, his third since construction began in 2018, of the new parliament building, expressing "gratitude to China for the magnificent gesture."  

IOL published on 30 November 2018 an article titled "Zimbabwe Starts Building New Parliament Paid by China."

Mnangagwa laid the foundation stone for the new parliament building funded by China.

Comment:  These articles do not even scratch the surface of the flood of publicity China received from this project beginning with the signing of what began as a loan in 2017.  

Zimbabwe Uses Chinese Technology to Surveil Citizens

 Africa Defense Forum magazine (published by U.S. Africa Command) posted on 17 January 2023 an article titled "Zimbabwe Turns to Chinese Technology to Expand Surveillance of Citizens."

The article is a summary of recent steps Zimbabwe has taken to monitor its nationals with the help of Chinese companies such as Huawei.  

Chinese Companies Help Zimbabwe Set Up Surveillance State

 Global Voices, a mostly volunteer community of international activists, posted on 10 January 2023 a commentary titled "How Zimbabwe Is Building a Big Brother Surveillance State."

A surveillance system set up with the help of Chinese companies such as Huawei and Hikvision and a loan from the China Export-Import Bank allows the leaders of Zimbabwe to keep a tight grip on political power.  

Ethiopia and Zimbabwe: Two Different Outcomes

Foreign Policy posted on 6 September 2019 a commentary titled "Why Ethiopia Sailed While Zimbabwe Sank" by Hilary Matfess, Yale University, and Alexander Noyes, Rand Corporation.

The authors conclude that Robert Mugabe's brutal legacy lives on in Zimbabwe through the system he and Emmerson Mnangagwa created, while Ethiopia stands on the brink of real change.

West Leaves Zimbabwe to China and Russia

The Asia Times published on 23 January 2019 a commentary titled "West Leaves Russia, China an Open Field To Court Zimbabwe--And the Rest of Africa" by Joseph Dana.

Both China and Russia have moved aggressively to court the new Emmerson Mnangagwa administration in Zimbabwe and they have found an eager partner. Western countries, particularly the United States, have shown no interest in Zimbabwe.

Zimbabwe to Adopt China's Facial Recognition Program?

Foreign Policy published on 24 July 2018 an article titled "Beijing's Big Brother Tech Needs African Faces" by Amy Hawkins, a freelance writer based in Beijing.

CloudWalk Technology, a Guangzhou-based start-up, has signed a deal with Zimbabwe to provide a mass facial recognition program. The agreement is on hold until Zimbabwe's elections on 30 July. If the deal goes through, it will enable Zimbabwe to replicate parts of the surveillance infrastructure that have made freedoms so limited in China.

Chinese Companies and Individuals Externalize Money from Zimbabwe

Zimbabwe's Times Live ran a story on 19 March 2018 titled "Who is Zimbabwe's Biggest Looter? Mnangagwa Names Names" by James Thompson. The report says President Emmerson Mnangagwa identified Chinese mining and retail companies as dominating the list of "externalization" of foreign currency, i.e. moving money that is not the legal tender of the country outside Zimbabwe.

In a follow-up article titled "China Rejects Mnangagwa's 'Looters List'" by James Thompson on 21 March 2018, Times Live reported that the Chinese embassy in Zimbabwe said the list is not accurate. The article put the amount of money moved by Chinese nationals out of the country at $363 million.

China and the Replacement of Robert Mugabe

The Conversation published on 7 December 2017 a commentary titled "Why the Focus on China's Role in Mugabe's Fall Missed the Bigger Picture" by Cobus van Staden, South Africa Institute of International Affairs, and Chris Alden, London School of Economics and Political Science.

The authors argue that while China probably had advance word of Robert Mugabe's removal from power in Zimbabwe, China likely had no role in the actual change of regime. The visit to China by army chief Constantino Chiwenga less than two weeks before Mugabe was forced out of office only underscored China's new prominence on the global stage.

Removal of Mugabe in Zimbabwe Highlights China's Influence in Africa

The South China Morning Post published on 1 December 2017 an article titled "What the Mugabe Coup Says about China's Plans for Africa" by Bobby Jordan.

While Beijing dismisses claims it was involved in regime change in Zimbabwe, the author suggests that the downfall of Robert Mugabe demonstrates the increasingly active role of China in Africa, especially in countries where Western nations have fallen out of favor.

China and Zimbabwe Are Still "Good Brothers"

The Diplomat published on 28 November 2017 a commentary titled "China and Zimbabwe Are Still 'Good Brothers'" by Charlotte Gao.

Chinese President Xi Jinping's recent congratulatory message to Zimbabwe's new president, Emmerson Manangagwa, made clear that China is happy to maintain a close relationship with Zimbabwe no matter who takes the office as president. Mnangagwa, who trained in China and studied China's communist ideology in Beijing, bodes well for friendly China-Zimbabwe relations.

China and the Change of Regime in Zimbabwe

China File Conversation published on 27 November 2017 two comments titled "What Does Mugabe's Resignation Mean for China?" by me and Huang Hongxiang, a US-based Chinese journalist.

I argued that China received a head's up on the removal of Robert Mugabe from power and that China will continue to support the new government under Emmerson Mnangagwa. I also suggested that developments such as the removal of Mugabe test the limits of China's non-interference principle.