By 
Zimbabwe’s speaker of Parliament, Advocate J.F.N. Mudenda, has called for an increase in parliamentary and economic cooperation between Zimbabwe and China during a high-level bilateral visit.
Speaking to his Chinese counterpart, H.E. Zhao Leji, Chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress (NPC), Mudenda emphasized the need to elevate the existing five-star ironclad relationship through enhanced legislative exchanges and deeper economic partnerships.
Mudenda has expressed concern over the low levels of bilateral Parliamentary engagements despite strong governmental ties, proposing a structured program of exchanges, including visits by parliamentary committees and capacity-building initiatives for parliamentary staff.
“We need to accelerate Parliamentary exchanges at not only the Presiding Officers’ level but cascading down to the Parliamentary Committees as well as capacity building for Parliamentary Staff,” Mudenda stated.
On the economic front, Mudenda identified key areas for intensified collaboration, including value addition and beneficiation of tobacco, and further investment in renewable energy, critical for Zimbabwe’s industrialization agenda. He also urged China to support people-to-people relations through tourism initiatives and the establishment of direct flights between the two nations.
“Another area of cooperation is cultural exchange. Notably, strides have been made through partnership with the oldest University in Zimbabwe, University of Zimbabwe which currently offers Mandarin as a foreign language,” Mudenda noted.
Mudenda also sought to learn from China’s economic development model, requesting information on how the NPC has contributed to stimulating economic growth.
In response, Chairman Zhao Leji highlighted the success of China’s special economic zones, supported by robust legislation protecting property rights, a model Mudenda indicated Zimbabwe could potentially extrapolate.
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