By Rudo Saungweme

Chinese Ambassador to Zimbabwe, Mr Guo Shaochun pledged that his Government will continue to offer technical and financial support to Zimbabwe.

Ambassador Guo said this at a meeting between a Development Research Centre (DRC) of the State Council of the People of the Republic of China and various Senior Government Officials in Harare last week.

The DRC is a consulting centre manned by economists, experts and researchers in the field of macro-economic policy, development strategy, and foreign economic relations.

The Ambassador promised that the Chinese embassy was going to issue a statement rebutting recent allegations of human rights abuse, lack of rule of law, as well as lack of freedom of assembly by the EU and US against Zimbabwe.

Speaking at the summit, Minister of Finance and Economic Development, Professor Mthuli Ncube said there were a list of projects waiting to be financed in the various sectors of the economy that include Infrastructural Development Projects, Information and Communication Technology (ICT) as well as Research and Development.

Ncube indicated that Zimbabwe and China were working on a famework that will address the issue of investor remittances of proceeds in which currency swaps will be utilised so as to clear the Chinese debts.

He also informed that a framework has been put in place in which former white farmers will be compensated only for improvements done on the farms. He said that a small percentage of these white farmers will be compensated for the land.

The minister stated that as of 26 August 737 white farmers had signed up for compensation.

The Chinese delegation showed interest in partnering with local firms in achieving the desired Macro Economic Stability in Zimbabwe.