Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe's pilgrimage to Beijing has resulted in new trade and technology agreements, but it is not clear whether China will extend a significant new line of credit to its most important client state in Southern Africa.
The government of Zimbabwe has expressed satisfaction with the new agreements, but analysts express doubts about Mr. Mugabe's "Look East" policy, which he adopted in the face of increasing political and economic isolation in the West. Economists say the new deals may not yield the dividends Harare is hoping for, while business people in Harare fear an even greater influx of cheap Chinese manufactured goods.
Correspondent David Mutomba of VOA's Studio 7 for Zimbabwe reports.
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