THE national flag carrier will from this June commence direct flights from Julius Nyerere International Airport in Dar es Salaam to Guangzhou, China as a means of boosting business and tourism, the Minister for Foreign Affairs and East Africa Cooperation, Prof Palamagamba Kabudi announced yesterday.
He made the announcement here yesterday during the official launching of the Chinese Embassy here, saying the commencement will serve to enhance mobility and interdependence between people while boosting trade and tourism not only between China and Tanzania but also between Asia and the African subcontinent at large.
He expressed the government commitment to foster bilateral ties between the two countries, saying the country is determined to work towards finding the best means of unlocking the potential of interlinked production networks and value chains that are enshrined in the master plan of the Belt Road Initiative. “We want to strive to provide a much needed link between our commercial city of Dar es Salaam and the Capital City of Dodoma.
It is a veritable metropolis with a veritable plethora of opportunities in the development of housing and accommodation facilities, hospitality and leisure, industrial manufacturing and agricultural development sectors,” he said.
The foreign minister said it is in their best interest to see more opportunities open up and more Tanzanians benefit out of it, saying they will use all means possible to ensure citizens of the two countries get relevant information and assistance to enable them pursue their endeavours in the two countries.
Prof Kabudi was convinced that there is so much that can be done together in creative harmony to explore new opportunities through which they can continue to build upon and strengthen our bilateral relationship.
He added that the ongoing expansion of the port of Dar es Salaam, rehabilitation and expansion of the Mtwara port and the construction of the main terminal building (Terminal 3) at the Julius Nyerere International Airport are vivid examples of Tanzania’s operationalization of the Belt and Road Initiative.
“It is our hope that the aspiration for increasing interconnectivity highlighted in the BRI Initiative shall give rise to the incorporation of other major projects like the construction of the Central Railway Line at Standard Gauge projects” said Prof Kabudi.
From the year 2015 to 2017,a total of 450 Tanzanians got long term scholarships while a total of 1,029 Tanzanians secured short term scholarships to study in various universities and higher learning institutions in China.
Earlier, The Chinese Ambassador to Tanzania, Ms Wang Ke commended the fifth phase government’s devotion to fight corruption and improving people’s livelihood. She advised the government to take advantage of the geographical position of Dodoma to promote bilateral relations as well as socio-economic development.
The ambassador commended the government for improved public service, expressing China’s commitment to ensure they strengthen the socio-economic ties between the two countries.
