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Chinese troops are on the streets of Zimbabwean city, witnesses say

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posted on Apr, 19 2008 @ 05:04 AM
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Chinese troops are on the streets of Zimbabwean city, witnesses say


www.independent.co. uk

Chinese troops have been seen on the streets of Zimbabwe's third largest city, Mutare, according to local witnesses. They were seen patrolling with Zimbabwean soldiers before and during Tuesday's ill-fated general strike called by the opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC).

Earlier, 10 Chinese soldiers armed with pistols checked in at the city's Holiday Inn along with 70 Zimbabwean troops.

One eyewitness, who asked not to be named, said: "We've never seen Chinese soldiers in full regalia on our streets before. The entire delegation took 80 rooms from the hotel, 10 for the Chinese and 70 for Zimbabwean soldiers."
(visit the link for the full news article)



posted on Apr, 19 2008 @ 05:04 AM
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What the hell is China doing in Zimbabwe?

It seems the Chinese are trying to build colonies in Africa, there was a thread on ATS about it. This could be related to the arms being sent to Zimbabwe, but why would Chinese troops be patrolling the streets?

www.independent.co. uk
(visit the link for the full news article)



posted on Apr, 19 2008 @ 05:21 AM
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If this is true... Bye bye Olympics. I can not believe China would be this stupid.

Once people in the UK get a wiff of this combined with the recent protests over China's human rights record I am sure a hell of a lot of people will be calling for a boycott and considering France is also considering one this could cause a massive snowball effect.

OK 10 troops is nothing, it could be a one off or a mistake but if it happens again, then god knows what will happen. However considering there were Chinese Officials at Mugabe's recent speach and a massive Chinese arms shipment bound for Zombabwe, I have a bad feeling about this.



posted on Apr, 19 2008 @ 05:27 AM
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reply to post by infinite
 


The West has more or less left Africa alone for the last few decades for fear of being accused of neo-Colonialism.
This has resulted in minmial investment and development.

During the same period we have helped China develop into a major world power both economically and military.

China has no colonial history as such and as a result views Africa as a prime opportunity to invest in and develop.

Obviously China see's the current situation as an ideal opportunity to exploit and to further their already considerable influence within Zimbabwe.

And still the West does nothing except issue empty gestures of rhetoric.

Mbeki, the South African President is a disgrace who will do everything within his power to ensure Zanu-PF stay in power as he fears the demise of the revolutionary, post Colonial parties. (South Africa is quietly going about it's own programme of re-assigning White owned farms to "veterans", but MSM refuses to report this as it doesn't portray South Africa as the idyllic African self-governed, democratic paradise which is the PC version).

If China is allowed to exert it's influence in Zimbabwe then it is only a matter of time until it extends into South Africa and the continent as a whole.




[edit on 19/4/08 by Freeborn]



posted on Apr, 19 2008 @ 05:43 AM
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Any photo of Chinese troops?



posted on Apr, 19 2008 @ 06:37 AM
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Could it have something to do with the this...


www.timesonline.co.uk...



posted on Apr, 19 2008 @ 06:44 AM
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The new scramble for Africa begins





Fifty years ago the decolonisation of Africa began. The next half-century may see the continent recolonised. But the new imperialism will be less benign. Great powers aren't interested in administering wild places any more, still less in settling them: just raping them. Black gangster governments sponsored by self-interested Asian or Western powers could become the central story in 21st-century African history.

Nature abhors a vacuum. Take Zimbabwe. In the Western news media the clichés about Robert Mugabe's “despotism” roll, but this is a despotism crippled by monumental incompetence. The BBC's audience must have been bemused in recent weeks by John Simpson's reports from within a country where, as we are always being reminded, the BBC is banned. I yield to none in my respect for Mr Simpson's courage and ingenuity but only modest quantities of either will have been required to enter the country, move within it or broadcast from it.

Please visit the link provided for the complete story.


TimesOnline

A very interesting article



posted on Apr, 19 2008 @ 07:07 AM
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Here's one China/Zimbabwe connection for you...

Chinese ship carries arms cargo to Mugabe regime

A Chinese cargo ship believed to be carrying 77 tonnes of small arms, including more than 3m rounds of ammunition, AK47 assault rifles, mortars and rocket-propelled grenades, has docked in the South African port of Durban for transportation of the weapons to Zimbabwe, the South African government confirmed yesterday. It claimed it was powerless to intervene as long as the ship's papers were in order.
Despite international criticism, the Chinese government has been a longstanding backer of Zimbabwe president Robert Mugabe's authoritarian regime, supplying it with jet fighters, military vehicles and guns.


Dockers refuse to unload China arms shipment for Zimbabwe

South African dockers are refusing to unload a Chinese cargo ship carrying 77 tonnes of small arms destined for Zimbabwe.
The arms arrived at Durban, South Africa, on Wednesday aboard the Chinese-owned An Yue Jiang and must be taken by road to landlocked Zimbabwe, where the Government has been accused of arming rural militias before a possible run-off vote for the presidency. The opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) has even accused Mr Mugabe's Zanu (PF) of preparing for a "war" against the people.
“We do not believe it will be in the interest of the Zimbabwean people in general if South Africa is seen to be a conduit of arms and ammunition into Zimbabwe at a time when the situation could be described as quite volatile,” said Randall Howard, a spokesman for the South African Transport and Allied Workers Union (SATAWU).


So, not only send weapons to Zimbabwe from Chiana, but also send troops to use them



posted on Apr, 19 2008 @ 07:25 AM
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I thought it was common practice by many nations, western and eastern, to send "military advisors" to nations they supply with military equipment, after all, somebody's got to train them in it's proper usage and if they get caught up in fighting it can be called self defence.



posted on Apr, 19 2008 @ 07:30 AM
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reply to post by yellowbeard
 


You are correct



The British Army were deployed to Sierra Leone, a former British colony, in 1999 to aid the government in quelling violent uprisings by militiamen, under United Nations resolutions. Troops ( Royal Marines ) remain in the region to provide military support and training to the Sierra Leone government.


British troops are also in Kenya


SR

posted on Apr, 19 2008 @ 07:51 AM
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Mugabe has been forced to look east for trade deals after the west shunned his regime for human rights abuses obviously the Chinese want to protect their investments as does Mugabe, as along with Mbeki and other African nations that are silent on the matter China is one of his only friends in the world left.



posted on Apr, 19 2008 @ 05:31 PM
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Wow... Do you know why African nations support China at UN conferences? Because China is helping the Africans, Western nations and espicially the U.S. are totally exploiting 3rd world countries by putting them in debt and obligations.

Why do they have soldiers in Zimbabwe? Maybe the government invited them for stability purposes.

The Chinese has been using the land around the Nile River to produce some of the best agricultural products. The nations around the Nile didn't even bother to use those land those why can't China use them?

China and the Western countries are having a Cold War through nationalism and propaganda, and therefore Westerners will believe in almost everything anti-Chinese.

What is the other side of this story? Perhaps the soldiers are there to put down social unrest? Maybe fend off some guerillas?



posted on Apr, 19 2008 @ 05:58 PM
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This article was quite..."informative" on the links between the People's Republic of China and Mugabe's Zimbabwe African National Union (ZANU) insurgency-movement in Rhodesia:

Link

Basically, there were two main insurgency-movements in Rhodesia during the Bush-War - the Zimbabwe African Peoples' Union (ZAPU) and the aforementioned Zimbabwe African National Union (ZANU).

ZAPU was predominantly supported by the Soviet Union, while ZANU was predominantly supported by the People's Republic of China - Simon Muzenda (Mugabe's foreign minister after the creation of Zimbabwe) visited Beijing to thank the government for supporting the ZANU Party in 1980.

Logic would have it that Mugabe would have "some" sense of gratitute towards the nation that supported his terrorist movement pre-Zimbabwe.

Some more links about relations between Mugabe and the People's Republic:
China vows "technical support" for Zimbabwe.
Mugabe's "Yellow Fever".
Zimbabwe signs China energy deal.
Police in Zimbabwe arrest Zimbabwean traders, supposedly to help Chinese traders, alleges opposition.


Originally posted by die_another_day
Wow... Do you know why African nations support China at UN conferences? Because China is helping the Africans, Western nations and espicially the U.S. are totally exploiting 3rd world countries by putting them in debt and obligations.


No, they "support" China because China is not afraid to deal with regime's that the West finds appalling - simply put, China is free to deal with "any" African regime they desire, as (unlike the West) they do not have to deal with hordes of Leftists protesting.

And please tell that to the inhabitants of Darfur that have been killed by weapons produced by China-sponsored weapons factories.



Originally posted by die_another_day
Why do they have soldiers in Zimbabwe? Maybe the government invited them for stability purposes.


I believe "suppression" is a better-word to be used here than "stability".


Originally posted by die_another_day
The Chinese has been using the land around the Nile River to produce some of the best agricultural products. The nations around the Nile didn't even bother to use those land those why can't China use them?


Ironically enough, this has a precedent in the "Terra Nullius" doctrine of the Europeans colonial powers, and most recently the ANC in regards to mineral-rich Bushmen lands in South Africa.

Basically, the natives of the Americas, Africa etc were "too backward" or "primitive" to use the land, minerals etc, and so the European powers declared that anyone could settle the "empty land".


Originally posted by die_another_day
China and the Western countries are having a Cold War through nationalism and propaganda, and therefore Westerners will believe in almost everything anti-Chinese.


It doesn't help that the "People's Republic" doesn't have the best views relative to human rights etc.
I only hope the Tibetans/Uighurs share your thoughts.



Originally posted by die_another_day
What is the other side of this story? Perhaps the soldiers are there to put down social unrest? Maybe fend off some guerillas?


What unrest?
What guerrillas?

All I've seen is anti-Mugabe protests, which the Zimbabwean police have put down..."heavy-handedly".

Isn't the use of Chinese soldiers a bit..."excessive"?



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