Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe has hailed China for supporting infrastructure development in rural Zimbabwe as the country works to uplift the living standards of people, the official New Ziana reported on Thursday.

Welcoming the Chinese Assistant Minister of Construction Liu Zhifeng, who paid him a courtesy call at State House on Thursday, Mugabe said Zimbabwe's reconstruction program was critical as it sought to address rural areas that not only bore the brunt of the liberation struggle but continued to bear the brunt of economic sanctions.

"I want to express gratitude and appreciation of the government and, naturally, of the party and people of Zimbabwe for your visit and, in general, for your preparedness and commitment to work with us on a program of vital importance as it addresses our rural areas where the majority of our people live," he said.

Liu, who was leading a 13-member team of technocrats in the construction sector, was accompanied by Zimbabwe Rural Housing and Social Amenities Minister Emmerson Mnangagwa and his deputy Joel Biggie Matiza among other officials.

Mugabe said apart from uplifting the economy and the standards of living for people in rural areas, the program was also being launched to express the government's appreciation of the loyalty of rural people to the country.

"More than that, it is a program that is rural-based and being rural-based, it goes as our appreciation that is long overdue to our rural people who bore most of the brunt of the liberation struggle and even now they are the people who bear the brunt of economic sanctions and they do so with commitment and greater loyalty than the urban people," Mugabe said.

He paid tribute to China for its unwavering support to Zimbabwe from the days of the liberation struggle to date.

"To us in those days (liberation struggle) it was difficult to get friends just as it is difficult now, being faced by a struggle against great powers, to get friends who can support us. But you gave us all the means with which we prosecuted our struggle and I say a good friend is one who stands by you when you are in trouble, " he said.

Mugabe pledged Zimbabwe's support towards China in the international fora where he said, China's enemies were seeking to tarnish its name by accusing it of human rights abuses, adding Zimbabwe would also support China's One China policy.

"We shall always stand by you in principle and emotionally because you have stood with us in difficult times."

Speaking to journalists soon after the meeting, Mnangagwa said his ministry had a vision to deliberately focus on rural reconstruction and development in Zimbabwe.

"The President directed us to look at rural reconstruction in China and Cuba and we were satisfied that the Chinese model can be dovetailed for our situation in Zimbabwe," he said.

The Chinese delegation has come to assess Zimbabwe's needs in the area of infrastructure development. The two countries signed a Memorandum of Understanding on rural development on Thursday.

Source: Xinhua