AS the new year begins, let us also start anew. At a time to ring in the new year 2025, on behalf of the Embassy of the People’s Republic of China in the United Republic of Tanzania and in my own name, I wish to extend my most sincere greetings and best wishes for the new year to all the friends who have been consistent contributors to the friendship between China and Tanzania and fellow readers, as well as all the Chinese nationals, Chinese institutions and Chinese students in Tanzania!
In 2024, China acted on the blueprint drawn up at the Third Plenary Session of the 20th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC) and made big strides in deepening reform comprehensively.
Marking the 75th anniversary of the founding of New China, China car ried forward its great cause of national development and pressed ahead with Chinese modernization with vigor and determination. Over the past year, China’s diplomacy has ridden the trends of the times. A remarkable new chapter has been written in head-of-state diplomacy, which has steered the trend of the times toward peace, development and win win cooperation. New break throughs have been made in building a community with a shared future for mankind. We have provided new opportunities for the world with Chinese modernization, which has promoted the develop ment trend of modernization in countries around the world.
China’s cooperation with oth er developing countries has set a fine example, which has reinforced the trend of unit ing for strength within the Global South.
China has made new progress in pursuing all around diplomacy, which has built up the trend toward a new type of international relations. In 2024, China and Tanzania celebrated the 60th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between our two countries. With frequent high-level visits and an even-closer practical cooperation, a series of celebration events started a craze of jointly celebrating our 60 years’ friendship.
China and Tanzania have held a series of celebration events, including the reception in celebration of the 60th Anniversary of the Establishment of Diplomatic Relations Between China and Tanzania, the China-Tanzania Youth Dialogue, the Forum for Shared Development of China-Tanzania, the Closing Ceremony of the 2024 China Tanzania Tourism and Culture Year and China’s hospital ship Peace Ark’s third visit to Tanzania.
China remained the largest trading partner and source of investment of Tanzania, and Tanzania became the Guest Country of China International Import Expo (CIIE) once again.
High-quality agricultural products from Tanzania, such as cashew nuts, avocados, aquatic prod ucts and honey, have brought into Chinese market. A series of landmark projects, includ ing the Magufuli Bridge, the SGR and the Julius Nyerere Hydropower Plant, have been well underway.
In 2024, the FOCAC Summit was successfully held in Beijing. China and Africa held hands to advance modernization in six aspects and ten partnership actions, point ed out the way forward for promoting modernization of the Global South with China Africa modernization and announced the new measures for China-Africa results-oriented cooperation across the board in the next three years.
H.E. President Xi Jinping met with H.E. President Samia Suluhu Hassan, who came to China for the Summit. Chinese, Tan zanian and Zambian presi dents jointly witnessed the signing of MoU on the revitalization project of the TAZ ARA railway.
China stands ready to work with Tanzania on advancing and deepening China-Tanzania Comprehensive Strategic Cooperative Partnership, to deliver more benefits to our two peoples. The year 2025 is a criti cal year for comprehensively implementing the outcomes of the FOCAC Summit, and also a year that will witness the 50th Anniversary of the completion of the TAZARA Railway.
No matter how the world landscape evolves, a more prosperous and open China will continue to inject more impetus and vitality into China-Tanzania cooperation, and a more mature and stable China-Tanzania relationship will provide more opportunities for common development of the two peoples. Let us join hands with each other to carry on the traditional friendship in a new chapter, to address challenges and seek common de velopment, and contribute to building an even closer China Tanzania and China-Africa community with a shared future.
The Lunar Year of the Snake is just around the cor ner. In Chinese traditions, smoothness is a characteristic of the snake year. We do hope the China-Tanzania relations will grow from strength to strength! Our best wishes also go to all of our friends, your families, and a happy new year.
