By Zweli Martin Dlamini

PRETORIA:Zimbabwe imported goods worth $1.125 billion from China and the country appreciates the diplomatic relations with the emerging world superpower based on non-interference in the country’s domestic affairs,Frederick Shava,the Zimbabwe Foreign Minister told the Global Times.

“We seek to learn from the Chinese experience and China is willing to give us an equal footing.However, the American approach is totally different in that they mix it up with the ‘human rights’ and think we must be like them. But we cannot like them and we are not American," said the Zimbabwean's Foreign Minister in an interview with the Global Times.

The Zimbabwe Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Trade further told the Global Times that, cooperation in the communication field could be an important area of cooperation between China and Zimbabwe in the future and dismissed the so-called “security concern that some Western countries and media outlets have hyped up.

“They worry because maybe they compete in a different sense.We worry more about collaboration. We just want to collaborate and benefit from the technologies that are being used in these communications," he told the Global Times.

The diplomatic relations and bilateral trade between China and Zimbabwe has continued to expand and as result,in 2022, Zimbabwe imported goods worth $1.125 billion from China, including machinery, pharmaceuticals, pesticides, and vehicles, among others.

On another note, during the same period, China imported products worth $1.3 billion from Zimbabwe, including tobacco, iron and steel, fruits, leather and leather products, ferro-alloys, and chromium ore.

"China is undoubtedly becoming one of Zimbabwe's top export destinations as it is currently the third-largest importer of Zimbabwean goods.Potential for increased trade volumes with China still exists," Shava said as quoted by the Global Times.