beijing china shed tear oust old friend robert mugabe president zimbabwe feed ruinous state economy confident new government antagonize china change course policies towards china pointedly fail offer open support mugabe army take power last week instead call vaguely peaceful resolution legal framework talk bridge differences wednesday foreign ministry say respect mugabe decision resign president remain good friend china make historic contributions zimbabwe independence liberation china friendship mugabe date back zimbabwe independence struggle china support mugabe visit china numerous time recently january president xi jinping tell china never forget old friends trade sag amid zimbabwe economic turmoil recent years china rely crucial raw materials unlike zambia copper angola oil china total trade zimbabwe 2016 worth 1.11 billion 15 percent on-year fraction 35.3 billion trade china south africa last year china trade tunisia senegal zimbabwe clear china cause problems china show desire prop mugabe hour need china interfere happy let zimbabwe people make choices say shen xiaolei africa expert chinese academy social sciences government think-tank rule party fight amongst economic policies national governance many problems shen say zimbabwe regime certainly go get trouble expect would happen fast contrast elevate status continent mugabe revile west despot whose disastrous handle economy willingness resort violence maintain power destroy one africa promise state 2015 mugabe confucius peace prize suppose china answer nobel peace prize turn accord zimbabwe media learn connection chinese government china important ally world stage mugabe 2008 china veto propose western-backed u.n. resolution would impose arm embargo zimbabwe financial travel restrictions mugabe 13 officials say would complicate conflict china deny know anything army take despite visit beijing zimbabwe military chief general constantino chiwenga shortly move mugabe monday chinese embassy south africa say complete nonsense suggest chiwenga tip china plan say attempt smear china mugabe case approve chiwenga visit however embassy also offer support mugabe reiterate china believe zimbabwe crisis internal affair african people resolve african problems china frustrations mugabe begin play state media past week chinese media run unfavorable article wife grace online news portal sina call wanton squanderer sunday wechat account overseas edition rule communist party official people daily carry largely negative account 1985 visit mugabe beijing meet former paramount leader deng xiaoping architect china reform show picture zimbabweans carry bundle cash hyperinflation crisis paper say zimbabwe chaos could large part trace mugabe extreme leftist populist policies zhang weiwei professor shanghai fudan university describe conversation interpret deng mugabe deng warn china mistake urge embark reform china mugabe seem get message zhang write person take anything loss zhang cite exasperate deng say meet confidence china mugabe former vice president likely successor emmerson mnangagwa whose sack prompt military take power upset china state media point know quantity frequent visit china whereas beijing worry anti-chinese feel zambia workers accuse chinese firm abuse underpay problems zimbabwe china africa all-weather friends china zimbabwe exception say wang wei associate research fellow foreign ministry china institute international study matter change government officials broad trend still develop friendly relations china zimbabwe china africa promote joint prosperity development tear china old friend mugabe oust zimbabwe