Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi on Friday met with Tanzanian Minister of Foreign Affairs and East African Cooperation Mahmoud Thabit Kombo in Dar es Salaam, reaffirming China’s commitment to strengthening long-standing ties with Tanzania and advancing broader China-Africa cooperation.
Wang, who is also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, said China and Tanzania share a deep-rooted traditional friendship forged through decades of mutual support and solidarity. Speaking to the press alongside Kombo, Wang highlighted the historical significance of bilateral relations, noting that Tanzania has played a pivotal role in China’s engagement with Africa.
He recalled that Chinese President Xi Jinping chose Tanzania as one of the destinations of his first official visit to Africa in 2013. During that visit, Xi introduced the principles of sincerity, real results, amity and good faith as the cornerstone of China’s Africa policy, a move Wang described as a milestone that ushered China-Africa relations into a new era.
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According to Wang, China-Africa cooperation is a vital component of South-South cooperation, driven by strong internal momentum and promising development prospects. He outlined China-Africa friendship and mutual trust in three key areas.
First, he said China and Africa jointly uphold justice. The two sides once stood together in struggles against imperialism and colonialism and continue to support each other in safeguarding sovereignty, security and development interests. Wang reaffirmed China’s support for Tanzania’s chosen development path and its opposition to any external interference in the country’s internal affairs.
Second, Wang emphasized the joint pursuit of progress. He said President Xi has proposed that China and Africa work together to advance modernization with shared characteristics and build an all-weather China-Africa community with a shared future in the new era. In this context, Wang noted that China-Tanzania relations have transcended bilateral cooperation and align with the broader rise of the Global South.
Third, Wang highlighted mutual benefit as the foundation of cooperation. He said China is ready to further align its development strategies with African countries and accelerate the implementation of outcomes from the Beijing Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation. Key areas of cooperation include agriculture, mining and manufacturing, with the aim of achieving shared modernization.
Wang also referenced the revitalization of the Tanzania-Zambia Railway, which officially broke ground two months ago under the guidance of the leaders of China, Tanzania and Zambia. He said China is willing to work closely with Tanzania to advance the project, build a prosperity belt along the railway and transform it into a new engine for Tanzania’s economic development.
The meeting underscored both countries’ commitment to deepening their comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership and strengthening China-Africa friendship amid a changing global landscape
