China remembers Salim 43 years on

Dar es Salaam. China, so the story goes, never forgets its allies along the many decades of the country’s rich and prosperous history.

And that priceless act of appreciation was replayed here in Dar es Salaam yesterday in a rare show of magnanimity.

The visiting Chinese Vice President, Mr Li Yuanchao, took it in his stride to personally meet and hold tête-à-tête with Dr Salim Ahmed Salim, one of Tanzania’s foremost diplomats.

It is over 43 years now since Dr Salim helped the People’s Republic of China to secure its permanent place in the United Nations. That was in 1971 when representing Tanzania at the UN, Dr Salim played a pivotal lobbying role that finally saw China regain its place among members of the global assembly.

That act and many others during the cold war era have gone into cementing cherished relations between Tanzania and China to date.

Mr Li,in his fourth day of a state visit in the country, requested to meet Dr Salim in person, a wish he was granted when they sat for a closed-door chat that lasted 20 minutes at the Serena Hotel yesterday before he left for Zanzibar in the afternoon.

Speaking to the media shortly after their discussion, Dr Salim recounted the struggle to restore China’s lawful seat at the UN which started in early 1960 but finally paid off in 1971.

He said China lost its seat in 1950 in the wake of the cold war pitting US against Russia.

“We weren’t against the US but we supported China because more than 600 million people were denied their representation at the UN when China was expelled,” said Dr Salim. He said US engineered grounds to unfairly suspend the communist state.

The former prime minister and Organisation of African Unity secretary general also revealed that he has been asked to travel to China and give a public lecture to Chinese youth on liberation struggles and relationship between the two countries.

“I will grab the opportunity but I also think it is very important that I do the same to Tanzanian youth because they need to know their country’s role in liberation struggles,” he said.

Dr Salim urged government leaders to find out how best to improve its poor trade balance with China through industrialisation. “This is the only way we can benefit from our cherished relations because for now the trade is imbalanced in favour of China.”

Meanwhile, Mr Li handed over four rescue cranes, five fork lifts to Tanzania and Zambia Railway Authority (Tazara) yesterday. The donation was part of China’s commitment to provide $70 million to Tazara through the 15 protocols. According to Mr Li, four locomotives are on their way to Tanzania as part of the commitment by the world’s second economy.

Mr Li also expressed his satisfaction with the current status of Tazara. “I did a brief tour of the railway line from which I am pleased with Tazara status 40 years since we handed it to Tanzania and Zambia governments,” said Mr Li through a translator.

Tazara and the government of China have identified 12 new projects to be undertaken under the Protocol of the 15th Economic and Technical Cooperation (15th Protocol).