MOFA: China hopes Zimbabwe can handle internal affairs properly

Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson Geng Shuang (Photo/fmprc.gov.cn)

China is paying close attention to the situation in Zimbabwe and hopes the country can properly handle its internal affairs, said a Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) spokesperson on Wednesday at a daily news briefing.

Zimbabwe's military on Wednesday took over the headquarters of the state broadcaster, Zimbabwe Broadcasting Corporation, and blocked access to government offices but said it was not a military takeover of the government. President Robert Mugabe is safe, an army spokesman said.

"China and Zimbabwe have a friendly relationship and maintaining peace and stability in Zimbabwe is in the fundamental interests of the country and is also what the international community expects," MOFA's spokesperson Geng Shuang said.

Geng added that former vice president of Zimbabwe is not in China.