countries of the eu that want to participate with various other suppliers of energy, including the ugts and want to do it through contractual means rather than through political means, which give them some form of security if those contracts are braeched. >> thank you, mr. sondland. mr. nicholls, can you talk a little bit to us about the role of china in zimbabwe. china has developed a very close relation and been a big investor in the cry for a long time. it hosted zimbabwe's news leadership for their, i think, first state visit. obviously china is playing a bill role throughout the kont nenlt. but talk a little bit about this and seek to continue in zimbabwe. >> thank you, senator, that's a good question and a crucial issue for us. china has invested heavily in the extractive resources sector around the world. and zimbabwe with its extensive mineral wealth i certainly no exception to that. i believe that private sector-lead group for zimbabwe is important, but i also think it's important that the people and government of zimbabwe receive fair and equitable treatment for their resource