Alternative Development Model for African Countries From China’s 73 Years of Experience

Chinese Ambassador to Tanzania Chen Mingjian and Tanzanian Minister for Culture, Arts and Sports Mohamed Mchengerwa sign the implementation Plan for the Years 2022 - 2025 Under the China-Tanzania Cultural Agreement, May 26, 2022. PHOTO | CHINESE EMBASSY


What you need to know:

  • Over the past 73 years, China has become the world’s largest economy (on a purchasing power parity basis), manufacturer, merchandise trad­er, and holder of foreign exchange reserves.

Anniversary of the founding of the Nation. We - Tanzanian people, as always, won’t be absent at this vital moment to extend our warmest con­gratulations to our all-weather friend - the People’s Republic of China.

Over the past 73 years, China has become the world’s largest economy (on a purchasing power parity basis), manufacturer, merchandise trad­er, and holder of foreign exchange reserves. China raised an estimated 800 million people out of poverty within the same period.

52 Chinese companies from Shandong province participate in the 46th Dar es Salaam International Trade Fair held from June 28 to July 13, 2022. The photo shows Tanzania’s Minister for Information, Communication and Information Technology Nape Nnauye visiting the booths of Chinese companies, Dar es Salaam, July 7, 2022. PHOTO | CHINESE EMBASSY

Having seen the perils of repeated hunger calam­ities, China with barely 9% of the world’s arable land, has successfully managed to feed its 1.4 billion people.

These achievements have stunned the world and inspired other devel­oping countries to pursue alterna­tive development models that deliver results to the people.

Along with China’s growth in the past 73 years, African countries have developed a multi-dimensional, pragmatic, and mutually beneficial partnership with China.

Tanzania has been among those most reliable and sincere partners ever since our two founding fathers made a move to establish diplomatic ties 58 years ago.

H.E. Mbelwa Kairuki, Ambassador of Tanzania to China.

In the eyes of our father’s generation, China – Tanzania relationship was embedded in TAZARA, in frequent high-level leaders‘ mutual visits, and the critical role played by Tanzania and other countries to restore the lawful rights of the People’s Repub­lic of China in the United Nations.

Our close ties have expanded from government-to-government coop­eration to today’s people-to-people connection. The people of China and Tanzania have been inextrica­bly intertwined with the in-depth exchanges in trade, investment, tour­ism, and education.

As one of the Pilot African coun­tries to implement Belt and Road Ini­tiative, we can see the new drive and energy from China have been inject­ed into China-Tanzania exchanges in economic areas.

Recently, we have witnessed more non-resource prod­ucts of Tanzania, especially the agri­cultural products accessing the Chi­nese market, which bring tangible and visible benefits to the ordinary people.

Poverty relief assistants and village officers help carry melons planted by villagers in Dongqin Village, Congjiang County of southwest China’s Guizhou Province, Nov. 11, 2020. PHOTO | XINHUA

China and Tanzania have support­ed each other to safeguard inter­national fairness and justice; build more resilient and sustainable devel­opment, and enhance regional peace and stability.

The increasingly com­plex global terrain, emerging new threats, and security demand Chi­na and Tanzania to cooperate even closer than before. We must have a consensus on addressing those chal­lenges because our fate and survival are intertwined.

We know that just around ten days from now, in the most beautiful sea­son of Beijing, the 20th CPC National Congress will be convened in Beijing.

All eyes and ears will focus on Bei­jing. We all have grand expectations for congress. It is so because China is too big to be ignored and equally too big to fail.

The stability and pros­perity of China are essential for the world. Therefore, we wish and expect CPC to make the right decisions and choices. In the end, I hope our friend­ship will last forever.