When China’s president Xi Jinping arrived in Harare for a state visit two years ago, he descended from his aircraft and clasped hands for several minutes with Robert Mugabe in a gesture of warmth that resonated across Africa.
Beijing had stood by the Zimbabwean president since the time his Zanu-PF party ended white minority rule in 1980 and throughout the period of sanctions imposed in 2002 after Mr Mugabe’s government organised violent seizures of white land.
“[Xi] clearly had a personal relationship with Mugabe, not just a political-military one,” said Hannah Ryder, founder of the Development Reimagined consultancy.
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