In 2024, when His Excellency President Emmerson Mnangagwa declared a state of national disaster due to food shortages caused by the El Niño‑induced drought, China responded swiftly by providing emergency food assistance—totaling 10,000 tonnes of rice and wheat—to support the most vulnerable communities.
We have handed over the last batch of 5,000 tonnes. This food aid embodies the warm friendship of the Chinese people, demonstrates our unwavering commitment to Zimbabwe’s food security, and reflects our enduring solidarity with Zimbabwe, especially in times of difficulty.
Food security lies at the heart of people’s daily lives and serves as the foundation of a nation’s development. China remains committed to supporting Zimbabwe’s efforts to strengthen food security and build agricultural resilience—not only through emergency assistance when needed, but also through long-term support that helps enhance its capacity for self-reliant and independent development, as true partners do.
Over the years, China has supported Zimbabwe in building agricultural infrastructure and facilities—including boreholes, dams, and irrigations — to enhance agricultural production; We have worked with UN agencies to enhance sustainable soil management and water resource planning in Zimbabwe — efforts that will further strengthen the country’s agricultural resilience and food systems.
China also places high priority on sharing well-proven, advanced agricultural technologies with Zimbabwe. By dispatching agricultural experts teams, establishing agricultural cooperation and poverty reduction demonstration villages, and implementing Juncao technology project, we are providing solutions to food security, environmental protection and climate resilience in Zimbabwe.
As the saying goes, “A friend in need is a friend indeed.” Time and again, our two nations have shown that as all-weather friends and partners, we always stand side by side through challenges and hardships. No matter how the international landscape evolves, China will always be a reliable partner for Zimbabwe.
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China’s support for Zimbabwe and other African nations is rooted in our vision of building a community with a shared future. In 2021 and 2022, H.E. Chinese President Xi Jinping proposed the Global Development Initiative and the Global Security Initiative respectively, placing priority on cooperation in food security, poverty reduction, and sustainable development.
Guided by these important initiatives, we will continue to deepen our cooperation in technology transfer, infrastructure development, and capacity building—all aimed at helping Zimbabwe build a more resilient, sustainable, and modern agricultural system that serves the needs of its people.
Looking ahead, we stand ready to work with the Government of Zimbabwe to align China’s 15th Five-Year Plan with Zimbabwe’s National Development Strategy 2 (NDS2), with a focus on the two key priorities of food security and poverty alleviation.
Let us join hands to turn the vision of our leaders into reality—to build the China-Zimbabwe all-weather community with a shared future.Zhou Ding is China’s Ambassador to Zimbabwe.