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.  

Chinese Communist Party Diplomacy in Africa

 Megatrends Afrika published in October 2024 a policy brief titled "Pragmatic, Strategic and Wide-Reaching: The CCP's Party Diplomacy in Africa" by Christine Hackenesch and Julia Bader.  

The policy brief analyses recent patterns and motives of China's party diplomacy in Africa.  It finds that the CCP maintains close ties with the main ruling parties in southern Africa and in some countries in East Africa, while engaging with a broad range of parties in countries in North Africa.  Beijing's party diplomacy in Africa seeks to promote China's core foreign policy interests, advance an alternative narrative on global China, and normalize China's authoritarian system.

Zimbabwean Elites Critical of China's Influence in Their Country

 The Conversation published on 28 September 2023 a commentary titled "We Asked 1,000 Zimbabweans What They Think of China's Influence on Their Country - Only 37% Viewed It Favorably" by William Natungimana and Haruka Nagao.  

Two Zimbabwean professors of political science asked 1,000 urban professionals in Zimbabwe in March 2023 their view of China's influence on their country.  Only 37 percent viewed China's influence positively.  

Zimbabwe Is Copying China Style Surveillance State

VICE News posted on 1 December 2019 an article titled "Zimbabwe Is Trying to Build a China Style Surveillance State" by David Gilbert.

The government of Zimbabwe is trying to silence social media accounts with legislation that bears all the hallmarks of China's censorship and surveillance system. The author argues that Zimbabwe's proposed cybersecurity law is taking its lead from China.

Communist Party of China Solidifies Ties with Six African Ruling Parties

IPP Media posted on 17 July 2018 an article titled "African Freedom Parties Team Up in New Leadership College Venture" by Aisia Rweyemamu. China is building and financially supporting a $45 million Mwalimu Julius Nyerere Leadership School in Tanzania with the engagement of the Communist Party of China (CPC). The six ruling African political parties involved in the project are Tanzania's CCM, Angola's MPLA, South Africa's ANC, Namibia's SWAPO, Mozambique's FRELIMO, and Zimbabwe's ZANU-PF. The school will offer short, mid, and long-term training in political ideology and leadership skills with the aim of hastening the economic liberation of Africa.

Zimbabwe's The Herald published on 17 July 2018 an article titled "Groundbreaking Ceremony of Julius Nyerere Leadership School Held." The article reported a congratulatory message from Chinese President Xi Jinping that the CPC is taking the opportunity of this leadership school to enhance exchanges with political parties in Africa so as to jointly promote the construction of a closer community with a shared future for China and Africa.

The Daily Maverick posted a commentary by Susan Booysen on 1 August 2018 titled "Hues of the ANC's Chinese Homecoming" on the ANC's connection with the Tanzanian-based leadership school and the longer relationship between the CPC and the ANC. It appears that the joint school in Tanzania will substitute for a national ANC political school in South Africa that has been under discussion with China.

It is interesting that southern African countries such as Zambia where political power has changed from one party to another party or those such as Botswana where democracy is more firmly implanted are not part of this project. This begs the question: should one conclude that the six ruling parties that are part of the project expect to remain in power in perpetuity?

China and the "Coup" in Zimbabwe

CNN posted on 18 November 2017 a story titled "The Chinese Connection to the Zimbabwe 'Coup'" by Ben Westcott and Steven George. The Guardian published on 17 November 2017 an article titled "Zimbabwe: Was Mugabe's Fall a Result of China Flexing Its Muscle?" by Simon Tisdall.

China has a long-standing close relationship with Robert Mugabe, who met with President Xi Jinping as recently as January 2017. China has neither condemned nor made any comment on Mugabe's apparent removal from power. Zimbabwean armed forces chief, Constantino Chiwenga, was meeting in Beijing with China's defense minister just days before the event. Chiwenga is believed to have played a key role in the military's intervention. All of this has led to speculation about China's role in these developments.

China's Zimbabwe Risk

The Diplomat published on 7 December 2016 a commentary titled "China's Zimbabwe Risk" by Wang Xinsong, associate professor at Beijing Normal University.

The author lays out the tricky situation facing China and its close relationship with the aging Robert Mugabe. He concludes the worst scenario for China is a rudderless Zimbabwe, with neither of the ZANU-PF factions winning in a post-Mugabe government, a destructive but weak opposition party force, uncontrollable social turmoil, and the military stepping into politics.

Zimbabwe's Mugabe Goes to China

China US Focus published on 4 September 2014 an article titled "Mugabe Goes to China" by Robert Rotberg, fellow at the Woodrow Wilson International Center.  He concludes that Mugabe obtained a lifeline from China but underscores the parlous nature of Zimbabwe's economy.