via We are not afraid of China: EU envoy 23 November 2014
THE European Union (EU)’s ambassador to Zimbabwe, Philippe Van Damme, has rejected charges that the bloc is uncomfortable with growing Chinese investment in Zimbabwe.
Speaking at a policy dialogue organised by the SAPES Trust last Thursday, Ambassador Philippe Van Damme denied Europe was unsettled by the Chinese excursion into Africa and in Zimbabwe in particular.
“China is one of the most important trading partners of Europe; why should we be afraid of China?
“Africa benefits from all its partners. The more partners you have the better, that they come from the north, the east, the south, the west.”
President Robert Mugabe’s government has in recent months popularised the narrative that Europe was losing out to China and Russia because of the targeted sanctions it imposed on Zimbabwe in 2001.
The EU cut ties with Zimbabwe in 2001 accusing Mugabe’s government of stealing elections and gross violation of human rights.
The bloc went on to slap Mugabe and his top lieutenants with targeted sanctions in an attempt to force Harare to change course.
Mugabe denied charges of human rights abuses saying the EU was unhappy with his seizure of white-owned farms for redistribution to landless blacks.
In response to the sanctions Mugabe pursued a Look-East policy where he attempted to woo China and Russia to invest in Zimbabwe particularly in the mining and agriculture sectors.
Van Damme, who is two months into his job, said Zimbabwe should abandon its “inward looking economy” and start focussing on the world market.
“We are not afraid of competition. Competition is necessary, we still believe that there is complementary work among investors in this country…and it’s in the interest of Zimbabwe, of Africa, of the world economy that Africa prospers,” he said.
Van Damme said Zimbabwe should allow competition among all nations within its business markets and not give any nation any special favours.
“What we ask is of course that we have indeed a legal framework which will create a level playing field among competitors,” he said.
“What we want to draw the attention of the government of is that investments are made in a sustainable way; that they respect social laws, that they respect environmental laws and that’s true for all competitors in this place.
“We are all wishing the Chinese to join the donor community to work together for the future of this country.”
The EU recently relaxed its sanctions on the Zimbabwean government, paving way for a restoration of the long broken ties.
The EU envoy said the country had immense potential to restore its yesteryear glory under its ZimAsset economic programme.
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