Tanzania, China deepen ties

DAR ES SALAAM: PRESIDENT Samia Suluhu Hassan has reaffirmed Tanzania’s commitment to its long-standing strategic partnership with China and acknowledged her consistent support for Tanzania.

She made the remarks yesterday during a meeting with the Minister for Foreign Affairs of the People’s Republic of China, Mr Wang Yi, at Dar es Salaam State House.

The President emphasised the importance of expanding exports, improving the trade balance and promoting business and people-to-people exchanges.

She also highlighted the need to streamline visa arrangements to facilitate mobility between the two countries.

Dr Samia further outlined Tanzania’s strategic vision for revitalising the operations of the Tanzania-Zambia Railway Authority (TAZARA) and associated economic activities.

On his part, Minister Yi expressed the Chinese government’s commitment to continued cooperation with Tanzania and reaffirmed his country’s firm support.

He described TAZARA as a historic symbol of China-Tanzania friendship and assured China’s readiness to support its modernisation and effective utilisation.

Minister Yi also reiterated China’s support for Tanzania’s priority projects, including infrastructure development, water supply, clean cooking initiatives and concessional financing.

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Both sides reaffirmed their shared commitment to strengthening China-Tanzania relations and advancing multilateral cooperation.

The commitment comes as part of ongoing efforts to strengthen the long-standing fraternal relations built on mutual respect and trust.

Earlier speaking to journalists on Friday after holding talks, Mr Yi, who is on a two-day official visit, held talks with the Minister for Foreign Affairs and East African Cooperation, Ambassador Mahmoud Thabit Kombo, and discussed various aspects of historical and strategic cooperation between the two countries.

“Our discussions focused particularly on political, economic and social matters. We emphasised the need to deepen our long-standing brotherly relations,” said Ambassador Kombo, highlighting the importance of trust and mutual respect as the foundation of the Tanzania–China partnership.

During the talks, the two leaders also agreed on plans to revitalise the Tanzania– Zambia Railway Authority (TAZARA) and convert it into a modern electric railway.

The move is intended to honour the Chinese nationals who lost their lives during the railway’s construction while boosting regional trade and economic growth.

Ambassador Kombo conveyed Tanzania’s sincere appreciation to China for its sustained and significant support in implementing the country’s national development agenda.

He said China’s contributions have been particularly impactful in strategic sectors including infrastructure, health, education, energy and industry.

He further reiterated the Tanzanian government’s commitment to continue working closely with China to attract investment, trade and technology, all aimed at stimulating economic growth and improving the livelihoods of Tanzanian citizens.

In response, Mr Wang Yi reiterated China’s readiness to continue supporting Tanzania’s development agenda.

He said that China remains a reliable partner not only to Tanzania but also to Africa in implementing shared development goals under initiatives such as the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) and the Forum on China–Africa Cooperation (FOCAC).

“China is ready to continue supporting Tanzania’s development efforts and will remain a dependable partner in implementing our shared development agendas, including BRI and FOCAC projects,” said Minister Yi.

He added that the upgrade of the TAZARA railway into an electric line would be carried out based on proposals from both Tanzania and Zambia.

The project is expected to enhance the value of the railway and serve as a key driver of development in the region.

In 2025 alone, the Tanzania Investment and Special Economic Zones Authority (TISEZA) registered 343 Chinese projects valued at 3.1 billion US dollars, which created over 82,000 jobs, reflecting the growing role of Chinese investment in the country’s economy.

Tanzania and China have long cooperated in the transport infrastructure sector, with the TAZARA railway standing as one of the most enduring symbols of friendship between the two nations.

Stretching 1,860 kilometres—975 kilometres in Tanzania and 885 kilometres in Zambia the railway continues to represent unity, solidarity and brotherhood.