China’s Foreign Minister Wang Yi backs call to lift sanctions on Zimbabwe
- The two nations are long-standing allies and Wang used visit to reaffirm Beijing’s commitment to supporting the African country’s economic development
- US and EU have placed sanctions on senior Zimbabwean officials and businesses but Wang says they have no basis in international law
China’s foreign minister has called for sanctions against Zimbabwe to be lifted, saying they have no basis under international law.
Restating Beijing’s commitment to providing economic and diplomatic support, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said in Harare on Sunday that the sanctions infringed on Zimbabwe’s legitimate development rights and interests.
“China fully supports Zimbabwe and Africa in their just call of lifting sanctions against Zimbabwe as soon as possible,” he said during a joint press conference with his counterpart, Sibusiso Moyo.
In October last year, the Southern African Development Community, which consists of 16 states including Zimbabwe, spearheaded calls for the removal of the sanctions. China, a long-standing supporter of the Southern African country, expressed its support for the measure at the time.
As a veto-holding member of the UN Security Council, China has helped Zimbabwe escape sanctions that would have included an arms embargo, and financial and travel restrictions on senior government and military officials.
Russia, which is a major arms exporter to Africa, also vetoed the proposal by the US and Britain.