Written by
Faridah N Kulumba
Chinese government and Tanzania vowed to deepen Belt and Road cooperation. On Monday this week, Chinese President Xi Jinping said that China is willing to conduct cooperation with Tanzania under the Belt and Road initiative (BRI) and expand their cooperation in fields such as agriculture, telecommunication, transport, tourism and energy.
The Chinese President Jinping in a phone conversation with Tanzania’s President Samia Suluhu Hassan, said the relations between the two countries face historic opportunities, adding that Beijing will encourage and support more Chinese companies to invest in the African country, CGTN reported.
China-Tanzania economic ties
From the outset of bilateral relations, China has assisted Tanzania with a variety of economic aid programs. The most early aid project was the TAZARA Railway built from 1970 to 1975 with Chinese funding, labor and technical assistance.
From 2000 to 2011, there were approximately 62 Chinese official development finance projects, which range from Chinese government’s efforts to launch the Tanzania Agricultural Development Bank, to a loan of $400 million to help alleviate the Kiwira coal mine’s financial problems.
In 2019 China and Tanzania opened a new door of communication aimed at enhancing economic and trade cooperation, especially on investment and financing.
According to the statistics from Tanzanian Investment Center, by the end of August 2012, there had been more than 300 Chinese companies investing in Tanzania’s infrastructure, agriculture, manufacturing and Small and Medium Enterprises development with a total registered capital of over $1 billion.
China has risen from the sixth largest foreign investor one year ago to the second now. Chinese investments help create over 80 thousand local jobs, and train a large number of management and technical personnel for Tanzania.
Tanzania assured
President Hassan said Tanzania is willing to actively promote cooperation with China under the Belt and Road Initiative, implement outcomes of the 2018 Beijing Summit of the forum on China-Africa Cooperation, and push for greater development of China Africa ties. Ms Hassan said Tanzania cherishes its friendship with China and appreciates China’s support and help over a long period of time.
Fatmah Ahmed a business woman in Dar es Salaam, told ‘”frica Press” that China is the most reliable and responsible investor for Tanzania, and that their companies and businesses are developing Tanzania. “Chinese cooperation can be seen in every field of our country’s social, and economic development,” she said.
The aim of strengthening BRI cooperation
In 2013, President Jinping proposed the BRI comprising the Silk Road, and aims to build trade and infrastructure networks connecting Asia with Europe and Africa along and beyond the ancient Silk Road routes.
Chinese president said that his country is willing to strengthen political mutual trust with Tanzania and jointly safeguard the legitimate rights and interests of developing boundaries.
Xi highlighted the relations between the two nations over the past decade, noting that Tanzania was the first country he visited after becoming the Chinese president in 2013.
President Hassan stressed that Tanzania firmly adheres to the one-China policy and supports China’s stance on issues concerning its core interests, including issues related to Hong Kong, Taiwan and Xinjiang.
