Chinese president arrives for state visit to Zimbabwe
习主席访问津巴布韦

Chinese President Xi Jinping has arrived in Zimbabwe's capital Harare to start a five-day visit to Zimbabwe and South Africa.

Xi will meet with Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe during his stay in Harare. The leaders are expected to chart the course for advancing the friendly ties between their countries. The two nations are also expected to sign a series of cooperation deals covering such fields as infrastructure, investment, financing, culture and wildlife protection.

Mugabe said in a recent interview with China's Xinhua News agency that he hopes that China will help Zimbabwe carry out some key economic and public welfare projects to speed up the country's socio-economic development. Xi and a large Chinese delegation will travel from Zimbabwe to Johannesburg Wednesday ahead of the sixth Forum on China-Africa Cooperation.

Xi’s trip to Zimbabwe comes on the 35th anniversary of the establishment of China-Zimbabwe diplomatic relations. The trip is Xi's first to Zimbabwe and the first state visit by a Chinese president to the African country since 1996.