On November 15, soldiers placed the 93-year-old Robert Mugabe under house arrest. Mugabe had ruled Zimbabwe since the country gained independence in 1980. On November 21, he resigned after 37 years in power. China, Zimbabwe’s largest foreign investor and one of its most important allies, offered a measure of public support for the move: A foreign ministry spokesman said the situation wouldn’t change the two countries’ relationship. Moreover, an early November visit to China by Zimbabwe’s army commander Constantino Chiwenga raised speculation that the military asked Beijing’s permission—or at least notified the Chinese—before moving against Mugabe. As Mugabe’s former allies take over, how important is China’s support? And what do situations like Zimbabwe’s mean for China’s longstanding stated policy of non-interference in other countries’ domestic affairs?