China and the "Coup" in Zimbabwe

CNN posted on 18 November 2017 a story titled "The Chinese Connection to the Zimbabwe 'Coup'" by Ben Westcott and Steven George. The Guardian published on 17 November 2017 an article titled "Zimbabwe: Was Mugabe's Fall a Result of China Flexing Its Muscle?" by Simon Tisdall.

China has a long-standing close relationship with Robert Mugabe, who met with President Xi Jinping as recently as January 2017. China has neither condemned nor made any comment on Mugabe's apparent removal from power. Zimbabwean armed forces chief, Constantino Chiwenga, was meeting in Beijing with China's defense minister just days before the event. Chiwenga is believed to have played a key role in the military's intervention. All of this has led to speculation about China's role in these developments.