Africa-Press – Tanzania. FOR the past 66 years, China’s engagement with Africa has been guided by its foreign policy of non-interference in the internal affairs of other countries.
This policy derives from the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence: mutual respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity, mutual non-aggression, non-interference in each other’s internal affairs, equality and mutual benefit, and peaceful coexistence.
Tanzania, being among the countries with cordial relationship with China, has continued to receive total cooperation on social, economic and cultural development, thanks to the commitment of leaders from both sides, who have put together their efforts on pushing forward the agenda.
The principle of non-interference is well-known in the global arena, a move that has earned the world’s second economic giant much respect, as it continues gaining confidence from all parts of the world.
Specific violations of noninterference include armed interventions, threats of force, support for domestic insurgencies and rebellions, hostile propaganda, and using one’s economic and political power to destabilise a foreign country or limit its ability to determine its own development and internal affairs.
On implementing this, the Far East country walked the talk for Tanzania during the October 28th, 2020 General Election, asking all nations to respect the non-interference principle by not meddling with other countries’ internal affairs. Instead, China appealed to countries to support African countries’ independence and safeguard their unity and stability.
“We believe that the Tanzanian government and its people have the wisdom and capability to organise the election. We wish that the election will be held smoothly and successfully,” Director of the Chinese Foreign Ministry Information Department, Zhao Lijian said in one of his regular press conferences in Beijing, China.
Mr Zhao was responding to a question from one of the members of the press demanding him to offer a comment regarding a statement issued by the US Embassy Tanzania regarding the election.
Through the statement, the US Embassy called on the Tanzanian government to support the democratic process, adding that they will not hesitate to consider consequences for those found to be responsible for election- related violence or undermining the democratic process.
China’s clear-cut confidence on Tanzania’s capability of managing her own affairs came a few days after diplomats serving in the East African nation expressed their satisfaction on how the 2020 General Election was being handled.
They said the campaigns focused on selling parties’ policies and peaceful election, the aspects they had been praying for, given the well-known Tanzania’s history in the liberation struggle and advocacy of peace and justice in Africa.
The envoys said Tanzania is branded as a haven of peace, a status known all over the world, which makes the country a shelter for other people from conflict- ravaged countries.
Last year’s election attracted more political parties fielding presidential candidates in total compared to the previous 2015 General Election, when four opposition parties Chama Cha Demokrasia na Maendeleo (Chadema), NCCR-Mageuzi, the Civic United Front (CUF) and the National League for Democracy (NLD) formed a coalition and fielded a single candidate.
This was the sixth general election since the reintroduction of multiparty politics in the country in 1992, with the first election held in 1995. In last year’s election, Tanzania proved its capability to meet all costs of this essential civic duty with a budget of 331bn/-.
The country paid for this election from its coffers, instead, of seeking foreign aid. China went on to congratulate Tanzania’s President John Magufuli on his re-election and expects to strengthen cooperation with the new government to advance bilateral ties to a higher level.
In so doing, the Chinese President Xi Jinping noted that China was always ready to work with Tanzania to closely synergise their development strategies, deliver more solid outcomes in their comprehensive cooperative partnership, and contribute to the building of the China-Africa community with a shared future.
Xi made the remarks in a telephone conversation with his Tanzanian counterpart, John Magufuli, and he once again congratulated Magufuli on re-election as Tanzanian president.
President Xi pointed out that the traditional friendship between the two countries was forged by the elder generations of their leaders, and that China always views and develops its relations with Tanzania from a strategic and long-term perspective.
Deputy Director of the Chinese Foreign Ministry Information Department Wang Wenbin said his country believes that under the leadership of President Magufuli, Tanzania will continuously make new and greater achievements in various undertakings of national development.
No matter how the international and regional situation changes, China will always be Tanzania’s reliable friend and comrade, he said, adding that China firmly supports Tanzania pursuing its independent development path in line with its national conditions.
China, he said, is ready to work with Tanzania to intensify high-level exchanges, consolidate political mutual trust, and continue to firmly support each other on issues involving each other’s core interests and major concerns.
Right now, China is the leading financier of the developing world, aiming to build bridges both figuratively and literally through economic cooperation.
Its chief foreign policy project which is the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) has connected 152 countries across continents and facilitated more than 1.3 trillion in trade.
In 2018, President Xi pledged US Dollar 60 billion in aid and loans for Africa, the money to be spent on infrastructure for the aim of helping speed African countries’ development.
“China’s investment in Africa does not come with any political conditions attached and will neither interfere in internal politics nor make demands that people feel are difficult to fulfill,” Xi said during a keynote address to the Forum on China- Africa Cooperation (FOCAC).
