Chinese Ambassador to Tanzania: China and Tanzania will continue to be good peer partners on the path of modernization

The 2024 Forum on China Africa Cooperation Summit was held in Beijing from the 4th to the 6th of this month. The summit adopted two outcome documents, the Beijing Declaration on Building an all-weather China Africa Community with a Shared Future in the New Era and the Beijing Action Plan of the Forum on China Africa Cooperation (2025-2027), which consolidate the consensus between China and Africa on major issues such as jointly promoting modernization and building a high-level China Africa community with a shared future. They plan the implementation path of high-quality cooperation between China and Africa in the next three years, and provide direction for deepening cooperation between China and Africa in the next step.

This year marks the 60th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Tanzania, and Tanzanian President Hassan also attended the summit. She praised China as a true partner for Africa's development, and that Africa China cooperation will help build a future of common progress and prosperity.

Recently, Chinese Ambassador to Tanzania Chen Mingjian stated in a written interview with Global Times reporters that China Tanzania cooperation has long been at the forefront of China Africa cooperation, and Tanzania has always been a participant, promoter, and beneficiary of the Forum on China Africa Cooperation. Past practice has proved that China's three major initiatives of the "the Belt and Road" initiative and cooperation with Africa are highly consistent with Tanzania's Vision 2025, helping Tanzania achieve industrialization and agricultural modernization.

Chen Mingjian stated that China Tanzania and China Africa will take this summit as an opportunity to join hands and embark on a new journey of modernization.

Global Times: This year marks the 60th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Tanzania. How do you evaluate the achievements of cooperation between the two countries over the past 60 years? What are your prospects for the future relationship between the two countries, especially in terms of economic and trade cooperation?

Chen Mingjian: Tanzania is a traditional friendly country of China and also the pioneer of China's policy towards Africa in the new era. In 2013, Chinese leaders proposed the concept of a genuine, friendly, and sincere policy towards Africa in Tanzania, and solemnly declared that "China and Africa have always been a community with a shared future". Since the beginning of the new era, China has adhered to this concept and, together with our Tanzanian friends, continuously enriched the connotation of the comprehensive strategic partnership between China and Tanzania, jointly built a high-level community of shared future between China and Tanzania and China Africa, and created the backbone of South South cooperation and a model of international relations. I am willing to share with readers four unforgettable and touching stories about China Tanzania relations.

In 1971, when the 26th United Nations General Assembly announced the restoration of the legitimate seat of the People's Republic of China in the United Nations, thunderous applause erupted in the conference hall of the United Nations headquarters. The then Permanent Representative of Tanzania to the United Nations, Salim, dressed in a Zhongshan suit, couldn't help but dance happily on the spot, thus capturing a precious scene of the beginning of the partnership between New China and the United Nations. China and Tanzania adhere to the principle that countries are not big or small, strong or weak, rich or poor. They have long fought side by side in the struggle against imperialism and colonialism, and upheld morality in the changing international situation. This is the "truth" of China Tanzania relations.

Over the past 60 years, China Tanzania economic and trade cooperation has yielded fruitful results. China has maintained its position as Tanzania's largest trading partner, largest source of foreign investment, and largest engineering contractor for several consecutive years. One landmark project after another brings tangible benefits to the local people, which is the "reality" of China Tanzania relations.

In recent years, the "Chinese fever" in Tanzania has continued to heat up, with the first cultural center in East Africa settling in Tanzania and multiple Confucius Institutes taking root and sprouting. The Tanzanian government has incorporated Chinese language courses into the national education system, and direct flights between the two countries have been opened, resulting in a continuous flow of people from China and Tanzania. Not long ago, the Swahili translated version of the TV drama "Welcome to Maile Village" premiered in Tanzania, telling the story of the Chinese medical team saving lives and establishing deep friendship with the Tanzanian people. The friendship between the two countries lies in the people's affinity, and the people of China and Tanzania have a natural sense of closeness. The friendly cause between the two countries has been passed down from generation to generation, which is the "closeness" of China Tanzania relations.

In 1965, during Nierer's first visit to China, he formally requested assistance in building the Tanzania Zambia Railway. Western countries turn a blind eye to the plight of Tanzania for political purposes, while China, despite its own difficult conditions, tightens its belts to assist in the construction of the Tanzania Zambia Railway, creating an immortal monument in the history of China Africa relations. This is the "sincerity" of China Tanzania relations.

During the Beijing summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation of the Forum on China Africa Cooperation in 2024, leaders of China, Tanzania and Zambia jointly witnessed the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding on Tanzania Zambia Railway Activation Project. The three parties will take this summit as an opportunity to promote new progress in activating the Tanzania Zambia Railway.

The flourishing of roots is actually accomplished, and the abundance of ointment is its radiance. Both China and Tanzania, as well as China and Africa, will take this Forum on China Africa Cooperation summit as an opportunity to join hands and embark on a new journey of modernization, creating a better future for both peoples and writing a new chapter in the construction of a community with a shared future for China, Tanzania, and Africa.

Global Times: How do you evaluate the significance of the Beijing summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation of the Forum on China Africa Cooperation in 2024 for promoting China Tanzania and China Africa cooperation?

Chen Mingjian: Since the establishment of the Forum on China Africa Cooperation, China Africa relations have entered a stage of great leap forward, great development, and great prosperity. In the new era, China adheres to the concept of truth, friendship, sincerity, and the correct view of righteousness and benefit. Together with African friends, we have exchanged goods and services in the field of trade, mutual benefit and win-win in the field of investment, mutual learning and mutual assistance in the field of humanities, and mutual assistance in multilateral fields, providing strong momentum for the development of our respective modernization undertakings.

The Beijing summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation of the Forum on China Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) in 2024 is the most important home diplomacy of China this year, and also the first large-scale, high-level major external event after the Third Plenary Session of the 20th Central Committee of the CPC. Its outcome document comprehensively plans the cooperation between China and Tanzania and China and Africa in all fields in the next three years, which will serve as a link between the past and the future for both sides to jointly promote modernization and build an all-weather China Africa community of common destiny in the new era.

China Tanzania cooperation has long been at the forefront of China Africa cooperation, and Tanzania has always been a participant, promoter, and beneficiary of the Forum on China Africa Cooperation. Looking ahead, China will continue to deepen economic and trade cooperation with Tanzania, actively cultivate new growth points such as digital economy, green development, and blue economy, further implement the three major measures of cooperation with Africa and the summit results, and help Tanzania achieve industrialization and agricultural modernization as soon as possible.

Global Times: China and Tanzania have been committed to jointly building the "the Belt and Road". How do you evaluate the cooperation achievements of the two countries in the joint construction of the "the Belt and Road"? What are your expectations for future cooperation between the two countries?

Chen Mingjian: Past practice has proved that China's three major initiatives of the "the Belt and Road" initiative and cooperation with Africa are highly consistent with Tanzania's Vision 2025, helping Tanzania achieve industrialization and agricultural modernization:

In the field of infrastructure, there have been fruitful achievements in the interconnection and intercommunication of infrastructure. Chinese funded enterprises are deeply involved in major infrastructure projects such as Tanzania's central standard gauge railway, Nyerel hydropower station, and Magufuli Bridge, helping Tanzania build strategic projects. Chinese enterprises have made outstanding contributions to the construction of Tanzania's infrastructure by building major projects such as the high standard natural gas pipeline, upgrading and expanding Dar es Salaam Port, the terminal building of Zanzibar International Airport, and the national fiber optic cable backbone network.

In the field of economy and trade, both quality and efficiency have been improved. In 2023, the bilateral trade volume increased by 5.7% year-on-year, reaching 8.78 billion US dollars, an increase of 1.25 times in 10 years. China has become Tanzania's largest trading partner for 8 consecutive years. China has approved the export of high-quality characteristic agricultural products such as cashews, avocados, and wild aquatic products to China, and Tanzania continues to expand its exports to China. During this summit, it was announced to further grant 100% tariff free treatment to 33 African countries, including Tanzania, as well as all least developed countries that have established diplomatic relations. The Chinese investment in Tanzania has achieved remarkable results, with Chinese investment projects such as Keda Ceramics, Huaxin Mawenni Cement, and Wangkang Float Glass all exceeding 100 million US dollars, driving a large number of local employment opportunities.

Facing the future, standing at a new starting point of cooperation, China and Tanzania will strengthen the "the Belt and Road" cooperation in line with the "Vision 2050" under planning, actively promote the transformation and upgrading of practical cooperation, transform from government led to market-oriented, upgrade from commodity trade to production supply chain cooperation, move forward from engineering contracting to investment and operation, deepen the "hard connectivity" of infrastructure, improve the rules and standards of "soft connectivity", expand mutually beneficial cooperation in green development, digital economy, blue economy and other fields, and help the joint construction of the "the Belt and Road" continue to go deep, practical and stable.

Global Times: For African countries, Chinese path to modernization is of great significance in theory and practice. How do you evaluate the significance of Chinese path to modernization for Africa's future development?

Chen Mingjian: In the past few decades, the West has wanted to impose so-called Western style democracy and the "Washington Consensus" on other countries, but they have basically been "out of place" and have not allowed these countries to achieve modernization. The comprehensive cooperation between China and Africa has achieved fruitful results, accumulated valuable experience, and on this basis, formed a consensus on the development concept - the "Dar es Salaam Consensus between China and Africa". This consensus calls on the international community to deepen development cooperation based on the principles of mutual respect, solidarity and cooperation, openness and win-win, and common prosperity, and to propose solutions and plans for the major problems and challenges currently facing the world, expressing the common voice of the global South.

Chinese path to modernization emphasizes national uniqueness and autonomy, and advocates the common values of all mankind. African countries can also follow their own experience, combine their excellent traditional culture with specific realities, and take the path of independent modernization. China will work hand in hand with its African brothers, including Tanzania, to continue to be good partners on the path of modernization and make greater contributions to promoting the construction of a community with a shared future for mankind.