Dancers perform during a gala celebrating the 55th anniversary of the establishment of the diplomatic relations between Tanzania and China in Dar es Salaam April 24, 2019. (Xinhua/Zhang Yuliang)
DAR ES SALAAM, April 24 (Xinhua) -- Tanzania's education minister on Wednesday described the diplomatic relations between Tanzania and China as rock-solid that has weathered the past 55 years.
Speaking at a gala celebrating the 55th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Tanzania and China, Tanzanian Minister for Education, Science and Technology Joyce Ndalichako said the friendship has been growing prosperously year after year.
"China is a friend indeed," Ndalichako said at the gala co-organized by Tanzania's Ministry of Foreign Affairs and East African Cooperation and the Chinese Embassy in Tanzania.
It was on April 26, 1964, the first Union Day of Tanzania, that the People's Republic of China established diplomatic relations with the Untied Republic of Tanzania, which made China among the first group of countries establishing diplomatic relations with Tanzania.
Ndalichako told her audience, including members of the diplomatic corps, academicians and students, that China has undertaken many landmark projects in Tanzania during the 55 years of friendship.
She cited such landmark projects as Tanzania-Zambia Railway (TAZARA), the imposing University of Dar es Salaam library, the Nyerere Bridge, the Jakaya Kikwete Cardiac Institute and the Julius Nyerere International Convention Center.
Ndalichako said the 5th administration under President John Magufuli looks forward to working closely with China in pushing for the country's transformation.
"We expect that China will support Tanzania, especially the Chinese financial institutions, in the implementation of our development projects," said the minister.
"Hand in hand, shoulder to shoulder, we have gone through an extraordinary 55 years," said Wang Ke, Chinese ambassador to Tanzania.
"We are proud that China helped Tanzania train freedom fighters, provided a large amount of financial and technological assistance, and through Tanzania supported the national liberation movements in southern African countries," said Wang.
She said China never forgot that in 1965, despite strong external pressure, Tanzania as the first country in eastern and southern Africa, signed the Treaty of Friendship with China.
In 1971, Tanzania rendered its firm support to the People's Republic of China in efforts to restore China's lawful seat in the United Nations, recalled Wang.
She said recent years have witnessed the continuous deepening of strategic trust between the two countries, increasingly close bilateral communications in various fields and levels, including national and local governments, political parties, and legislative bodies, ever frequent exchanges on the experiences of governance, and mutual support on issues of each other's core interests and major concerns.
During the past 55 years, China and Tanzania developed pragmatic cooperation with rich achievements in multiple forms, including aid, trade, investment, financing, and in a wide range of areas such as infrastructure, industry, agriculture and mining, said Wang.
China has been the largest trading partner of Tanzania for three consecutive years, said Wang, adding that in 2018, the two countries bilateral trade volume reached 4 billion U.S. dollars.
Moreover, she said, China was the largest foreign investor in Tanzania with a total investment of 7 billion U.S. dollars and over 700 investment projects which have created about 150,000 direct local jobs.
"Through concerted efforts by China and Tanzania, we proudly made many projects the 'largest' or the 'first' in Tanzania and even in Africa," said Wang.
She mentioned projects such as the Tanzania-Zambia Railway, the Nyerere Bridge, the University of Dar es Salaam Library, the National ICT Broadband Backbone Project and the Ubungo overpass in Dar es Salaam whose construction is underway.
Wang said the past 55 years have also witnessed China continuously sending medical teams, military and agricultural experts to Tanzania, to support the national development and improvement in people's livelihood in the eastern African country.
When looking back the past 55 years, she said, China and Tanzania have been insisting on mutual respect and equal treatment by regarding the other as its honest, reliable and trustworthy friend.
"In face of some differences, our two countries can conduct friendly negotiation and reach mutual understanding and mutual accommodation without imposing one's will on the other or interfering in the other's internal affairs," said Wang.
