Dar es Salaam. Shandong Province has outlined four priority areas to deepen economic cooperation with Tanzania, as Chinese officials made fresh commitments during an investment tour led by the Minister of State in the President’s Office (Planning and Investment), Prof Kitila Mkumbo.
The tour, which started on March 17 and runs until March 22, aims to explore investment opportunities and strengthen trade and industrial partnerships between Tanzania and one of China’s leading economic provinces.
In a statement released on Thursday, March 19, officials said commitments were made during a meeting between Prof Mkumbo and the Director General of the Provincial Department of Commerce of Shandong, Wang Lei.
The meeting discussed a wide range of strategic issues, focusing onstrengthening bilateral economic cooperation. The two leaders emphasised the need to promote investment flows between Tanzania and Shandong, particularly in key development sectors.
Speaking on the second day of engagements, Ms Wang said Shandong would prioritise four areas of cooperation: expanding investment, boosting bilateral trade, strengthening infrastructure development, and enhancing institutional communication.
“Shandong is willing to actively guide and support its enterprises to deepen investment cooperation with Tanzania, promote the implementation of more projects, and assist in enhancing industrial development to achieve mutual benefit and win-win outcomes,” she said.
On investment, Ms Wang said the province would actively support its enterprises to expand operations in Tanzania. Shandong is home to more than 3,000 overseas-invested enterprises globally, with growing interest in Africa.
The move is expected to support Tanzania’s industrialisation drive and create employment opportunities.
Trade expansion is another key pillar of the partnership. In 2025, trade between Shandong and Tanzania reached 13.95 billion yuan, a 44.1 per cent increase year-on-year.
Ms Wang said efforts would be made to promote Tanzanian exports such as coffee, cashew nuts and minerals, while increasing the presence of Chinese industrial goods in Tanzania.
In terms of outbound investment, by the end of 2025, Shandong had 22 enterprises operating in Tanzania, with a total accumulated direct investment stock of $150 million.
These investments span multiple sectors, including machinery and equipment, auto parts, textiles and garments, commerce and logistics, as well as agricultural processing.
Among the flagship projects is the East Africa Commercial and Logistics Centre, developed by Weihai Huatan Supply Chain Management Co., Ltd.
The facility has grown into Tanzania’s largest commercial complex integrating wholesale, retail, logistics and warehousing services.
It has created approximately 15,000 local jobs and stands as a model of China–Tanzania bilateral economic and trade cooperation.
"We will continue to organise enterprises to participate in trade fairs and create more platforms for Tanzanian products to enter the Chinese market,” she said, adding that Shandong plans to host targeted procurement events for Tanzanian businesses in China.
A central platform in facilitating this trade is the East Africa Commercial and Logistics Centre, which integrates wholesale, retail, logistics and warehousing services.
The facility has already created thousands of jobs and will host exhibitions, procurement events and business forums to connect buyers and sellers.
Infrastructure development forms the third pillar, with Shandong firms expected to expand participation in energy, transport and urban projects, especially as Tanzania prepares for the Africa Cup of Nations 2027.
The fourth area focuses on strengthening institutional ties through regular communication between authorities to improve coordination and implementation of joint projects.
Ms Wang proposed establishing a regular communication mechanism toenhance information sharing and explore new areas of cooperation.
She emphasised that Shandong sees Tanzania as a key partner in Africa, citing strong economic complementarities and growing trade volumes.
“We look forward to deepening economic and trade ties and contributing to elevating China–Tanzania cooperation to a new level,” she said.
For his part, Prof Mkumbo said the visit is part of broader government efforts to attract international investment through strategic forums and engagements aimed at accelerating Tanzania’s economic growth.
Beyond official talks, Prof Mkumbo also held in-depth discussions with prospective investors interested in Tanzania.
Among them were representatives from Anhui Conch Cement Co., Ltd., led by Terry Chu, who expressed strong interest in establishing operations in Tanzania as their first investment destination in Africa.
Prof Mkumbo endorsed a number of proposals and agreements presented by the Chinese side, including plans to establish and expand cooperation in strategic sectors such as manufacturing, mining, agriculture and tourism—areas seen as critical to Tanzania’s long-term economic transformation.
