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[Walpurgis]

Japanese PM welcomes Robert Mugabe in push for African influence

Japanese prime minister Shinzo Abe on Monday welcomed Zimbabwean president Robert Mugabe to the country in a move likely to raise eyebrows in the west.

Mugabe, whose country is subject to sanctions by the US and European countries over its tainted human rights record, was visiting Japan for the fourth time as president and holding his third meeting with Abe.

Abe said he wanted to work with Mugabe, who chaired the African Union in 2015, to help with Japan’s push to reform the UN security council.

“By closely coordinating with Mr Mugabe ... we wish to help promote reform” of the global body, Abe said in remarks carried by Jiji Press, referring to Mugabe as an esteemed African elder.

After their talks, Japan announced development aid worth 600m yen ($5.3m) for the nation to buy equipment needed to build roads.
[...]
Mugabe’s latest visit comes as Japan has tried to maintain cordial ties even with states controlled by leaders who have antagonised Western nations, most notably Iran.

China is also trying to court him:
Zimbabwe's Robert Mugabe awarded 'China's Nobel peace prize'

The Confucius award was set up in 2010 as a Chinese alternative to the Nobel peace prize after the Norwegian Nobel committee infuriated Beijing by handing its annual peace prize to the jailed dissident writer Liu Xiaobo. Liu remains in prison for co-writing a pro-democracy manifesto called Charter 08.

Previous winners of the Confucius prize include Vladimir Putin and Fidel Castro, who was praised by the committee for “speaking out against nuclear warfare”.
[...]
The prize comes with an award of 500,000 yuan (£51,000) and a gold trophy of the ancient Chinese philosopher whose name it takes. Qiao argued that Mugabe had provided his people with a much better standard of living than citizens of Syria, Iraq or Afghanistan. “It’s much better than Libya too,” he added.

That was from October. This is from December:
Robert Mugabe greets China's Xi Jinping as 'true and dear friend' of Zimbabwe

Zimbabwe’s president, Robert Mugabe, has greeted Xi Jinping as his Chinese counterpart made what is a rare trip to a country shunned by western powers over its leader’s widely criticised human rights record. Mugabe, 91, met Xi at the airport in capital Harare as hundreds of children waved Chinese and Zimbabwean flags along the road into the city.

“The people of Zimbabwe are overjoyed to host you,” Mugabe, who has ruled since independence in 1980, told Xi at a state banquet.

Mugabe described Xi and his wife, Peng Liyuan, as “true and dear friends of the people of Zimbabwe”.
[...]
Xi is the most prominent leader for many years to visit Zimbabwe – a diplomatic coup for Mugabe who has fostered ties with China since Beijing backed several African movements fighting to end colonial rule.

Mugabe said: “I am glad that Zimbabwe and China speak the same language on many issues.”
[...]
China also offered to fund the construction of a new parliament building and pledged to donate equipment for the protection of wildlife. China is a major market of ivory and rhino horn poached from Africa.

$5.3 million is pocket change for Mugabe so I don't know why Japan is giving such a small amount. I'm going to give the edge to China since a new parliament building will surely exceed $5.3 million. Unfortunately, a parliament building serves no use in a dictatorship so I guess they're even.

IMO, Chinese investment in Africa is a good thing if handled properly. It's a convenient scenario where China currently requires raw materials for production and simple work for their massive citizenry, while much of Africa is lacking in basic infrastructure; I believe the plan is to build good relations with the African nations while they are down to expand global influence and to help them progress economically to make good customers for Chinese production in the future. Scamming African nations through corrupt government officials is shortsighted, as it will bring profits in the near term but close some very important doors in the long term, economically and militarily.

I'm a little more iffy on Japan since I know less but some competition shouldn't hurt.

 

[astroturfing]

how is this motherfucker still alive and well? he's gotta be pushing 100

 

[Walpurgis]

Here's a short bio on Mugabe for those who don't know how awful he is.

I just did some reading on this guy and he's a real piece of work. He became an African legend after leading a successful rebellion against the white rulers of Rhodesia. Mugabe easily won the first Zimbabwe election in 1980 and showed his true colours very soon after that. As president, he immediately established a one-party state and put together a North Korean trained security force called the Fifth Brigade. One of their first tasks was genocide against the minority Ndebele tribe, the tribe that the only other candidate of that 1980 election hailed from. Between 1982 and 1985, at least 20,000 Ndebele people were killed and buried in mass graves. Several years later, Mugabe expanded his powers, officiating himself as a dictator. It's been more than 36 years since Mugabe won that 1980 election and he has remained the ruler of Zimbabwe ever since. Born just before the fall of the Ottoman Empire and three years after Albert Einstein won the Nobel Prize for discovering the photoelectric effect, Robert Mugabe is 92 years old.

 

[Valhelm]

Are we beginning to see an Asian "great game" in Africa?

 

[Megalosaro]

Are we beginning to see an Asian "great game" in Africa?

Beginning? China is already strongly involves in Africa. No one is talking about it for some reason

 

[Peru]

Classic Abe

 

[dramatis]

Wonder what would happen to Zimbabwe when Mugabe dies, maybe the investments there now can keep the country more stable when he really does go.

Beginning? China is already strongly involves in Africa. No one is talking about it for some reason

People tracking the sinosphere know, but recent years have been endless ISIS and terror attacks on home soil, so most of the main media attention have been on things like that.

 

[DontBeThatGuy]

how is this motherfucker still alive and well? he's gotta be pushing 100

The fucked up randomness of life. Evil scum like this living into his 90s.

 

[Principate]

The UN secruity counsel is clearly a rigged system, that has very little power over any remotely major power, but I don't see how this is going to help that.

 

[FStop7]

Abe and Mugabe are both racist fucks. Birds of a feather. Abe probably jerks off at the thought of being able to use some of Mugabe's more notorious tactics in Japan.

 

[kmax]

Evil welcomes Evil.

 

[LiK]

Abe is trash

 

[astroturfing]

The fucked up randomness of life. Evil scum like this living into his 90s.

i don't think it's random, i think psychopaths that lack empathy stress very little about anything, and have extremely high self-esteem. both of these contribute tremendeously to health..

 

[Pterion]

What a time to be alive.

 

[Walpurgis]

how is this motherfucker still alive and well? he's gotta be pushing 100

Wonder what would happen to Zimbabwe when Mugabe dies, maybe the investments there now can keep the country more stable when he really does go.

Here is his condition within the last year.

Robert Mugabe falls down steps after speech in Zimbabwe - video

Calls for Robert Mugabe to quit after he reads wrong speech at parliament
Robert Mugabe to rule Zimbabwe from 'special' wheelchair, says wife
And this from just a few week ago.

“Do you want me to punch you to the floor to realise I am still there?” So said Zimbabwean president Robert Mugabe, 92, to a TV interviewer who asked him about his retirement and who might replace him.

“Why ‘successor’ when I am still there?” Mugabe said in the interview was broadcast on Thursday night. “Why do you want a successor?”

I think his wife will take over when he dies. However it goes down, I hope it is a peaceful transition because a military general might view a woman as an easy target. She's probably trash though I'm not sure who is better.

The UN secruity counsel is clearly a rigged system, that has very little power over any remotely major power, but I don't see how this is going to help that.

I guess he wants to use it to bully smaller countries and help bros like some of the major powers currently do.

Abe and Mugabe are both racist fucks. Birds of a feather. Abe probably jerks off at the thought of being able to use some of Mugabe's more notorious tactics in Japan.

Abe
Mugabe

Coincidence or fate?

 

[Annubis]

i don't think it's random, i think psychopaths that lack empathy stress very little about anything, and have extremely high self-esteem. both of these contribute tremendeously to health..

Millions of dollars probably help too for healthcare.

 

[Walpurgis]

i don't think it's random, i think psychopaths that lack empathy stress very little about anything, and have extremely high self-esteem. both of these contribute tremendeously to health..

I think guys like this are in perpetual stress since everyone hates them and they think everyone around them wants to kill them. He just has good healthcare and is lucky to not be hit with something like cancer.

 

[Vhalyar]

China also [...] pledged to donate equipment for the protection of wildlife. China is a major market of ivory and rhino horn poached from Africa.

Well played, China.

 

[Korigama]

Not even remotely surprised that this is the sort of person whom Abe would welcome.

 

[astroturfing]

I think guys like this are in perpetual stress since everyone hates them and they think everyone around them wants to kill them. He just has good healthcare and is lucky to not be hit with something like cancer.

nah man, some are so psycho they literally CAN'T feel fear (or much stress). i'd bet a lot of money Mugabe is one such freak.

 

[michaelius]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Realpolitik

He might be murderous monster but some politicians will turn blind eye as long as it benefits their nation.

 

[phaze]

Not even remotely surprised that this is the sort of person whom Abe would welcome.

How is it any different than taking visits from King of Saudi Arabia, Hu Jintao or any other dictator democratic countries can't afford to ostracize ?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Realpolitik

He might be murderous monster but some politicians will turn blind eye as long as it benefits their nation.

Some ? What democratic politician doesn't/didn't do that to some degree ?

 

[commedieu]

Beginning? China is already strongly involves in Africa. No one is talking about it for some reason

Yep. Building a lot of shit too.

 

[LUFTRAUSER]

Beginning? China is already strongly involves in Africa. No one is talking about it for some reason

It's because we're still wasting our time fucking around in the Middle East.

 

[Principate]

Beginning? China is already strongly involves in Africa. No one is talking about it for some reason

Noone talks about almost anything in regards to africa. Hell a not so small number of people refer to the place as a country

 

[Ether_Snake]

Africa's environment is being wrecked, all land gets turned into farmland, massive pesticide usage, etc.