From Shoes to Aircraft to Investment, Zimbabwe Pursues a Made-in-China

Zimbabwe’s President Robert Mugabe has earned the scorn of most Western countries for his brutal suppression of human rights.. As a result, amidst calls for democratic reforms, Zimbabwe’s trade has dwindled. However, China, in constant search for natural resources and markets to fuel its economic boom, has shown itself willing to overlook the rough governance styles of its trading partners. Zimbabwe is benefiting ever more from Chinese economic partnership, with a wide variety of manufactured goods flowing into the country, spanning from trinkets to military fighter jets. Mugabe is even encouraging his citizens to learn Mandarin and cook Chinese food, in hopes of drawing tourists from the East. While many of his citizens object to the occasionally low quality of Chinese imports, Mugabe is likely to continue courting Beijing, perhaps, some experts believe, in hopes of emulating the success of the Chinese model of “free market dictatorship” himself. – YaleGlobal