Chinese troops reported in Zimbabwe

This afternoon, Robert Mugabe's pals in the South African government allowed a shipment of ammunition, rockets and mortar shells from China through the port of Durban. The weapons are destined for Zimbabwe's government militias.

There are reports from Zimbabwe of Chinese troops attacking MDC supporters in the eastern province of Manicaland and of ten armed Chinese military officers appearing with Zimbabwean army colleagues in a hotel in the provincial capital, Mutare.

A contributor to this comment thread on the Sokwanele blog also claims to have seen Chinese troops.

So is this just a token force to put a bit of steel into the wobbling Mugabe regime or is it a prelude to something more sinister? Is the Chinese regime prepared to see the investment it has put into Zimbabwe go up in smoke under a government led by Morgan Tsvangirai or is it preparing a coup to protect its interests there?

And if China does intervene, what will Britain, Europe and the USA do about it?

Comments

[G. Tingey]

More Han colonialsim.

And Bugger all is what they'll do about it!

[Steve Hayes]

There was a radio news bulltein today about Chinese troops being deployed in several towns in Zimbabwe, then no more news.

[Ross]

Zimbabwe has always been an integral part of the Chinese nation, just like Tibet, and those trying to interfere in China's internal affairs are neo-colonialists.

[chachi]

can't do nothing, with the west on the verge (& some say already in) of recession, the last thing the US wants is political conflict with a power like china which most of the west by the balls, as for britain & europe....against china?, what could they do?

Its not as if either have any moral ground on the matter, the west esp the US support many undesirable & repressive regimes all for oil, the saudi's (where most of the so called 'terrorists' come from), saddam hussain & his murderous ways were OK until he decided to stop selling oil to the US, the israelis with their ongoing murderous & oppressive, terrorist state, there's many more, why should china be any different?

[Rastaman]

If the Chinese want to start taking over Africa, and they certainly do, we should just stay out of the way and let them. Considering all the Islamization so far of Africa, and how violent they'll be toward the Han incursion, it should be a Hell of a lot of fun to watch.

I mean, muslims and Chinese killing each other. It doesn't get much better than that.

Black Sheep