By Senior Editor, China Africa News
Dar es salaam-Tanzania and China have walked a long road together, one that began decades ago with landmarks like the TAZARA Railway and now encompasses railways, power-plants, industrial parks, agriculture, trade and culture. For Tanzanian scholars such as Humphrey Moshi, this isn’t simply a list of projects: it’s an evolving partnership from which Tanzania can glean practical lessons for its own development. In recent interviews Moshi emphasises that China’s rise to the world’s second-largest economy in roughly four decades offers “valuable lessons” for Africa and for Tanzania in particular.
Moshi points out that China’s reform-and-opening-up policy and long-term planning culture have been bedrocks of its economic success. One key lesson he emphasizes is China’s disciplined adherence to its five-year development plans a mechanism of continuity, accountability and follow-through that often eludes many African states. “In Africa, we have similar plans but often lack the institutional frameworks to monitor and evaluate them effectively,” Moshi notes.
Joseph Kahama, for his part insists that partnership into the realm of lived experience in Tanzania. As the Secretary-General of the Tanzania-China Friendship Promotion Association he has pointed to China’s achievements lifting nearly 800 million rural people out of poverty is one such dramatic illustration. He also emphasizes that the relationship has built trust, mutual respect, and practical benefits, from drilling water wells across Tanzania, to Chinese medical teams working in rural areas, to scholarships for Tanzanian students in China.
On the manufacturing front, Chinese investment is tangible: around 60% of China’s investment in Tanzania is in manufacturing, shifting the focus from infrastructure-delivery to capacity-building, skills development and value-added production. In agriculture, trade and global integration China and Tanzania are partners: Tanzanian exports like sesame, avocado and soybeans head to Chinese markets; trade fairs such as the China-Africa Economic and Trade Expo deepen enterprise matchmaking, economic and cultural dialogue.
The cultural, education and people-to-people dimension is also growing: scholarships, cultural exchanges, Chinese medical-teams and school laboratories reflect a relationship that goes beyond symbolism. China-Africa cultural forums highlight Africa’s potential and China’s recognition of it.
Through the efforts of the Tanzania-China Friendship Promotion Association (TCFPA), the Tanzania-China partnership is no longer just a series of large infrastructure projects but a lived reality for Tanzanian and Chinese citizens alike. The association has helped connect Tanzanian students to Chinese scholarships, facilitated Chinese medical teams and rural water-well drilling campaigns across Tanzania, and bridged businesses on both sides to create jobs, boost exports, and deepen mutual understanding. At the same time, China gains trusted allies, access to new markets and partners, and reputation-building through grassroots cooperation and cultural exchange. This multilevel engagement under TCFPA thus ensures the Tanzania-China friendship remains dynamic, inclusive, and beneficial for both nations.
