China: West has no right to punish Zimbabwe

On a recent trip to Zimbabwe, China's Foreign Minister called for an end to sanctions put on Zimbabwe by Western nations.  Since 2002, the US and EU imposed sanctions on Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe, who has ruled the country for 30 years, and his senior party members due to alleged human right violations, suppression of political opposition, and targeting of white farmers in land policies.  China claims that no country has the right to dictate the internal affairs of another country and that Africans are the masters of the African continent, with the right to develop in their own ways.  In addition, China gave Zimbabwe US$7.5 million in aid, as Zimbabwe has 90% unemployment and a 231,000,000% inflation rate.  Mugabe blames the West for Zimbabwe's problems, claiming they have not transferred their investments back over the the Zimbabweans fast enough.

http://www.cnn.com/2011/WORLD/africa/02/12/zimbabwe.china/index.html

Mark Zajac