By Mafa Kwanisai Mafa

Seventy-six years ago, the People’s Republic of China rose from the ruins of foreign aggression and humiliation to become a beacon of hope for the world’s oppressed peoples.

Forty-five years ago, Zimbabwe, emerging from the flames of armed liberation struggle, stood shoulder to shoulder with China, affirming a friendship not born of convenience, but of shared sacrifice, shared values, and shared destiny.

Today, as Zimbabweans, we look upon China’s extraordinary journey with admiration and kinship. China has lifted nearly a billion people out of poverty, built the world’s largest health and education systems, and become the global powerhouse of industry, science, and innovation.

Yet, what makes China’s rise truly inspiring to Zimbabwe and the Global South is that it has done so not through imperial conquest, but through the principles of peace, equality, and mutual respect.

Revolutionary Bonds Written in Blood

Our friendship was not written in ink, but in blood and sacrifice. Many of Zimbabwe’s liberation fighters trained in China, carrying back not only weapons and skills, but also revolutionary songs, discipline, and an unbreakable belief in self-determination.

The songs of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army became the anthems of Zimbabwean fighters in the bush, reminding them that solidarity was not a slogan, but a lived reality.

To this day, our veterans recall the solidarity of the Chinese people during our darkest hours, proving that the slogan “all-weather friendship” is more than rhetoric; it is history lived.

At training camps in Nanjing and Beijing, cadres of ZANLA and ZIPRA learned the art of people’s war, guided by Mao Zedong’s principles of revolutionary struggle.

They returned to Zimbabwe not only with rifles but with a philosophy: that the oppressed, through unity, can defeat even the most powerful empires.

This revolutionary connection is why the bond between our two nations is described as a five-star, ironclad friendship. It was tested in fire, tempered in struggle, and remains unbreakable in the face of modern challenges.

China’s Rise: A Beacon for the Global South

The trajectory of China’s rise holds profound lessons for Zimbabwe and Africa. From a semi-feudal society devastated by imperialist invasions, China has become the second-largest economy in the world, the largest trader of goods, and a pioneer in renewable energy and technology.

Unlike the colonial powers of the West, China’s modernisation did not depend on the plunder of other nations. It relied on self-reliance, discipline, collective sacrifice, and a people-centred approach.

By lifting nearly a billion citizens out of poverty, China has set a world record for human progress. For Zimbabwe, still battling under the yoke of illegal Western sanctions, China’s story is not distant; it is proof that development can be achieved outside the dictates of the IMF, World Bank, and Western hegemony.

Concrete Achievements of Brotherhood

In the new millennium, this brotherhood has transformed into tangible achievements. From the Hwange Power Station expansion, delivering 600 megawatts to Zimbabwe’s grid, to the rehabilitation of Robert Gabriel Mugabe International Airport, from the New Parliament Building at Mt. Hampden to the NetOne Broadband Project and High-Performance Computing Centre, China has been the trusted partner in Zimbabwe’s industrialisation drive.

Chinese investments have made Zimbabwe a continental player in steel production, lithium processing, and ICT innovation. The Dinson Iron and Steel Plant in Manhize is poised to be one of the largest on the continent, positioning Zimbabwe at the heart of Africa’s industrial future.

Agricultural cooperation is another cornerstone. With the opening of green lanes for African products, Zimbabwe now exports citrus, avocados, and blueberries to China.

This trade, coupled with President Xi Jinping’s announcement of zero tariffs for all African countries, promises to transform Zimbabwean farmers into global exporters, creating thousands of jobs and uplifting rural communities.

Comradeship Beyond Economics

Beyond infrastructure and trade, China’s medical teams and agricultural experts have touched the lives of ordinary Zimbabweans. Over 600 Zimbabweans received free cataract surgeries under the China-Aid Bright Journey 2 programme, restoring sight and dignity to the poor.

More than a thousand boreholes donated by China have brought clean water to rural communities. Agricultural demonstration villages have introduced new technologies that fight poverty and improve food security.

These are not acts of charity; they are acts of comradeship, rooted in the revolutionary belief that the dignity of one nation is bound up with the dignity of all. They stand in sharp contrast to Western “aid,” which often comes tied with conditions that erode sovereignty and dignity.

China Against Western Sanctions

Crucially, China has stood firm against the illegal sanctions imposed on Zimbabwe by Western imperialists. While the United States and its allies attempt to cripple Zimbabwe’s sovereignty and dictate its policies, China has consistently defended Zimbabwe’s right to chart its own destiny.

Sanctions are the modern weapons of imperialism, designed to achieve through economic strangulation what colonialism once attempted through brute force. China understands this well, having itself endured blockades and containment during its revolutionary years.

Just as it opposed colonial aggression in its own history, China today opposes neo-colonialism in Africa. In the United Nations and other global platforms, China has been Zimbabwe’s voice, calling for the unconditional removal of sanctions.

Mutual Respect and Core Interests

Zimbabwe, for its part, remains steadfast in its support for China’s core interests: The One-China policy, the principle of sovereignty, and the vision of a multipolar world.

We recognise that an attack on China’s sovereignty, whether in Taiwan, Hong Kong, Tibet, or the South China Sea, is an attack on the very principles that protect smaller nations like Zimbabwe from domination.

When Zimbabwe affirms One China, it does so not as a diplomatic gesture but as a revolutionary commitment to the principle that no foreign power has the right to divide or dictate the destiny of another nation.

 Toward a Multipolar World

As we move toward Vision 2030, guided by the mantra “Nyika inovakwa nevene vayo”, a nation is built by its own people. Zimbabwe knows it is not walking alone. China’s Belt and Road Initiative connects our industries, roads, and digital infrastructure to a global network based on cooperation, not exploitation.

The Global Development Initiative and the Global Civilisation Initiative resonate with Zimbabwe’s aspiration for development free from the chains of dependency.

These initiatives embody what our Pan-African leaders like Kwame Nkrumah, Julius Nyerere, and Robert Gabriel Mugabe envisioned: a new world order where the Global South shapes its own destiny, free from imperial dictates.

For Pan-Africanists, China’s success is proof that a non-Western path to modernity is possible.

The Ongoing Struggle Against Imperialism

Our shared struggle against imperialism continues not on the battlefield of yesterday, but in the arena of economic justice, technological sovereignty, and cultural pride.

The same forces that once colonised Africa now attempt to recolonise it through debt traps, resource exploitation, and political interference. But together, Zimbabwe and China resist.

China’s rise has already shifted the global balance of power. No longer can the West claim a monopoly over technology, finance, or governance. For Zimbabwe and Africa, this is an opportunity to align with a partner that respects sovereignty, rather than one that seeks to undermine it.

A Revolutionary Salute

As we celebrate China’s 76th anniversary and 45 years of diplomatic relations, Zimbabwe proudly raises a revolutionary salute: to the indomitable spirit of the Chinese people! To the eternal friendship between Zimbabwe and China!

To the defeat of imperialism and the rise of a just multipolar world! The ironclad bond between Zimbabwe and China is not only a story of the past, it is the foundation of the future. Our friendship, tested by history, strengthened by shared sacrifice, and guided by a vision of equality, will light the path for generations to come.