It was a move that may be construed as a signal of Beijing’s growing confidence on the international stage, playing host to a leader desperate for oil and money to prop up his crumbling economy.

The visit has sparked controversy for China. New Zealand, which is leading a push to isolate Zimbabwe on the sports field, has asked China to ensure that any aid that it gives the troubled African nation does not directly benefit its leader, who is a pariah in the West.

Mr Mugabe spent yesterday touring a huge state-owned automobile plant in the industrial northeast.

Last Thursday China revalued its currency by 2 per cent and Zimbabwe devalued its own by 39 per cent. So the power of China’s economy is not lost on Mr Mugabe. He will use meetings with Chinese leaders, including President Hu, to ask for aid.

Zimbabwe says that it already has a deal with China in which it will receive 1,000 buses. In April Zimbabwe’s national airline took delivery of two MA60 passenger aircraft bought from the Chinese state-owned AVIC aircraft manufacturer and received a third aircraft as a gift.

The southern African country also took delivery of six Chinese-made Karakorum (K8) military trainer jets, and China has supplied tiles for President Mugabe’s new palace in the suburbs of Harare.

The timing of Mr Mugabe’s trip is critical, only days after Zimbabwe said that it was exploring alternative lines of credit with countries such as China and Malaysia as it grapples with a worsening economic crisis. Its unemployment rate is more than 70 per cent, inflation is in triple digits and it has acute shortages of foreign currency, food and fuel.

The economy has gone into freefall since Mr Mugabe expropriated land from thousands of white farmers, who were the backbone of the economy, and gave it to supporters of his ruling Zanu (PF) party.

• President Mbeki of South Africa signalled yesterday that his country could pay off some of Zimbabwe’s foreign debt, which is estimated at $4.5 billion.

  He described as counterproductive the possible expulsion of Zimbabwe from the International Monetary Fund because of its debt arrears. “It may very well be that South Africa may take whatever portion of Zimbabwe’s debt,” he said. South African newspapers have said that Zimbabwe was seeking a $1 billion loan from its neighbour.

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