• Zimbabwe and China sign $55 million cooperation pact and $6.9 million food aid agreement. 
• The deal aims to boost socio-economic growth, food security, and support vulnerable communities. 
• Bilateral trade reached $3.8 billion in 2024, driven by Zimbabwe’s mineral and tobacco exports. 

Zimbabwe and China have signed an economic and technical cooperation agreement worth about $55 million, along with a separate commitment for food aid valued at around $6.9 million for the southern African nation. 

H.E. President @edmnangagwa witnesses the signing of the Economic and Technical Cooperation Agreement and the Exchange Letters for Emergency For Assistance between the Government the People’s Republic of China and Zimbabwe.

The Economic and Technical Cooperation Agreement is… pic.twitter.com/5Dhe089PZw

— Presidential Communications Zimbabwe ?? (@DeptCommsZW) August 6, 2025

The agreements, concluded on Wednesday, August 6, are intended to promote socio-economic development, strengthen food security, and support targeted projects aimed at improving the livelihoods of vulnerable communities. 

These commitments follow President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s state visit to Beijing in 2024, during which several agreements were signed in agriculture, mining, and infrastructure. At the time, Chinese President Xi Jinping expressed his willingness to expand cooperation with Zimbabwe in areas such as investment, trade, clean energy, and the digital economy. 

This partnership aligns with China’s broader vision for an Africa–China network designed to boost economic growth on both sides. In 2023, trade between the two countries rose by 29.9% to $3.12 billion, mainly driven by Zimbabwe’s exports of minerals and tobacco to China. 

According to the International Trade Center, trade flows in 2024 were estimated at $3.8 billion, up 23.9% from the previous year.