On December 1 local time, President Xi Jinping arrived in Harare, the capital of Zimbabwe, by special plane, starting his state visit to the country.

At around 10:15 am local time, Xi Jinping arrived at Harare International Airport by special plane. Xi Jinping and his wife Mme. Peng Liyuan stepped out of the cabin door. President Robert Mugabe and his wife, Vice President Emmerson Mnangagwa, Vice President Phelekezela Mphoko,and Foreign Minister Simbarashe Mumbengegwi of Zimbabwe and others greeted them at the airport and went to the gangway ladder to warmly shake hands with them, warmly welcoming Xi Jinping's visit.

Robert Mugabe held a grand welcome ceremony at the airport, where the military band played the national anthem of China and 21 gun salutes were fired. Xi Jinping, accompanied by Robert Mugabe, stepped onto the reviewing stand and reviewed the honor guard. The military band played the national anthem of Zimbabwe. Zimbabwean children presented a floral hoop to Xi Jinping and Robert Mugabe and bouquets to Mme. Peng Liyuan and Mrs. Mugabe. Cabinet Minister of the Zimbabwean government, foreign envoys in Zimbabwe and others present lined up on both sides of the red carpet and local residents performed cheerful and joyful traditional dances to welcome the visit of Xi Jinping and Mme. Peng Liyuan. On the way from the airport to the hotel, thousands of Zimbabwean people danced and sang along the road to welcome Xi Jinping and the Chinese delegation.

Xi Jinping conveyed sincere greetings and best wishes from the Chinese people to the Zimbabwean people. He pointed out that China and Zimbabwe are all-weather friends. Since the establishment of the diplomatic relations 35 year ago, both sides have been helping each other in respective courses of development and cooperation in politics, economy and trade, people-to-people and culture exchanges and other areas has yielded fruitful results. Both sides agreed that China and Zimbabwe should become good partners, friends and brothers featuring equal treatment, mutual support, mutual benefits, win-win results and common development. This consensus is gradually translated into tangible results benefiting both peoples. China highly appreciates the important role of President Robert Mugabe as the current rotating presidency of the African Union in safeguarding the solidarity and collective interests and promoting the growth and unity for self-development of Africa. I look forward to, together with President Robert Mugabe, exchanging in-depth views on deepening China-Zimbabwe relations as well as international and regional topics of common interest and mapping out a bright future of the bilateral relations through the visit.

Wang Huning, Li Zhanshu, Yang Jiechi and other delegation members arrived by the same plane.

H.E. Huang Ping, Chinese Ambassador to Zimbabwe, also greeted them at the airport.

Xi Jinping arrived in Harare after attending the opening events of the UN Climate Change Conference in Paris. On the evening of November 30 local time, Xi Jinping left Paris. Senior French government officials saw him off at the airport. After his state visit to Zimbabwe, Xi Jinping will pay a state visit to South Africa and go to Johannesburg to chair the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation Summit.