President Hu Jintao met visiting Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe in Beijing on Tuesday to discuss bilateral relations as part of the African leader's weeklong state visit that began on Saturday.

 

China and Zimbabwe signed three agreements, including one on economic and technical cooperation.

 

Mugabe also visited the city's Foreign Affairs University yesterday where he was awarded an honorary professorship.

 

Shortly after the ceremony, he delivered his first lecture there, speaking about democracy, UN reform and Zimbabwe's adherence to the one-China policy.

 

Also on Tuesday, the China National Aero-Technology Import & Export Corporation (CATIC) signed an agreement with the Zimbabwean Ministry of Communication to export a third MA60 aircraft following the two that were delivered in May.

 

The Chinese-made MA60 is a 60-seat turboprop plane that has a range of 1,600 kilometers with a full load.

 

The CATIC also signed a memorandum of understanding on loan financing for the expansion of Zimbabwe's Hwange Power Station and an agreement on an Aircraft Spares Bonded Warehouse.

 

The day before, Mugabe visited the First Automobile Works in Jilin, and he was scheduled to meet top legislator Wu Bangguo and Premier Wen Jiabao today.

 

(China Daily July 27, 2005)