China tells Zim: We didn’t give you R53m this year. We gave you R2bn

The Embassy of the People’s Republic of China in Zimbabwe has asked the Zimbabwean government to accurately reflect funds given to it by China.

In its 2020 National Budget Statement, the Zimbabwean government said it had received only $3,631,500 (R53 million) from China, which was “very different” from the actual situation on the ground, said the Chinese embassy in the country.

“According to our records, from January to September 2019, the actual bilateral support provided to Zimbabwe by China is 136.8 million USD (R2 billion). Such a figure does not include the other bilateral supports such as the expense of expert assistance, Embassy’s donations to local vulnerable groups and so on.

“The Embassy wishes that the relevant departments of the Zimbabwean government will make comprehensive assessments on the statistics of bilateral supports and accurately reflect its actual situation when formulating budget statement,” it said.

It further said it believed the Zimbabwean government and its people, along with international support, would be successful in achieving prosperity and development. The country would also realise its vision for 2030.

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