China foreign minister jets in Dar today

DAR ES SALAAM: CHINA’S Foreign Minister and Member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party Central Committee, Mr Wang Yi, is expected to touch down in Dar es Salaam today for a high-profile two-day official visit.

The visit aims to further strengthen the longstanding and cordial relations between Tanzania and the People’s Republic of China within the broader framework of China–Africa cooperation, according to a statement issued by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and East African Cooperation.

“Tanzania and China continue to enjoy robust and mutually beneficial cooperation in trade and investment, reflecting the depth and resilience of the bilateral partnership,” the statement said.

Mr Wang will be received by his host, the Minister for Foreign Affairs and East African Cooperation, Ambassador Mahmoud Thabit Kombo. The visiting diplomat is also scheduled to pay a courtesy call to President Samia Suluhu Hassan.

The ministry noted that Chinese enterprises have also continued to expand and consolidate their presence in Tanzania, making a significant contribution to the country’s economic development.

“In 2025 alone, the Tanzania Investment and Special Economic Zones Authority (TISEZA) registered 343 Chinesebacked projects with a total value of 3.1 billion US dollars (about 7.7tri/-), generating 82,404 employment opportunities,” reads the statement.

These investments span a wide range of strategic sectors, including manufacturing, agriculture, services, transport, commercial real estate, telecommunications and tourism.

The two countries also cooperate closely in the development of transport infrastructure, recognising its vital role as a catalyst for economic growth and regional integration.

The Tanzania-Zambia Railway Authority (TAZARA) remains one of the most enduring and powerful symbols of friendship, cooperation, and shared aspirations between the governments of Tanzania, Zambia and China.

ALSO READ: China and Tanzania: Six decades of strategic partnership fuelling growth

Spanning a total of 1,860 kilometres with 975 kilometres in Tanzania and 885 kilometres in Zambia, TAZARA Railway lies at the heart of the historic friendship between Tanzania and China and embodies the shared values of sincerity, solidarity, freedom and justice that continue to underpin the close partnership between our two countries.

According to the ministry, this visit further underscores the enduring friendship and close cooperation between Tanzania and China, founded on mutual trust, respect and shared values cultivated over more than six decades.

The strong bonds between the two countries were laid by their founding leaders, the late Mwalimu Julius Nyerere and the late Chairman Mao Zedong, and have since been carefully nurtured and strengthened by successive generations of leadership