ZANZIBAR: CHAMA Cha Mapinduzi (CCM) in Zanzibar has pledged to strengthen its longstanding partnership with the Communist Party of China (CPC) to promote economic development, education, trade and investment while expanding opportunities for young people and entrepreneurs.
CCM Zanzibar Deputy Secretary-General Abdi Mahmoud Abdi made the pledge during talks with China’s Ambassador to Tanzania, Ms Chen Mingjian, at the party’s headquarters in Kisiwandui, Zanzibar.
The meeting focused on strengthening cooperation between CCM and the CPC, as well as broader relations between Tanzania and China.
Mr Abdi said the partnership was founded on friendship, mutual respect and cooperation for the benefit of both sides, noting that Tanzania continues to draw valuable lessons from China’s development experience.
He said government and CCM leaders benefitted from visits to China to learn about its development models and achievements, adding that the exchanges broadened their understanding of strategies that could support Tanzania’s development.
“It is a great pleasure to see our colleagues continuing to support us as we pursue development. Many of us have had opportunities to visit China, learn from its current achievements and see the many initiatives being implemented in your country,” Mr Abdi said.
He said the partnership was particularly important in preserving the friendship established by the founding leaders of the two countries, including Tanzania’s founding President, Mwalimu Julius Kambarage Nyerere, and China’s former leader, Chairman Mao Zedong.
Mr Abdi called for stronger cooperation to enable more young people from Zanzibar and mainland Tanzania to access training and benefit from China’s experience in various development sectors.
Ambassador Chen said relations between Tanzania and China dated back to the leadership of Nyerere and Mao and has since remained strong for more than six decades.
She said the CPC and CCM maintained relations based on mutual trust, reaffirming China’s commitment to continued cooperation with Tanzania in trade, education and infrastructure development.
On trade, Ms Chen said bilateral trade between Tanzania and China reached 11.28 billion US dollars last year, expressing optimism that the value would exceed 12 billion US dollars this year.
She said China’s tariff exemptions for eligible Tanzanian products were expected to create additional opportunities for Zanzibar’s entrepreneurs to expand their businesses, increase production and improve the quality of goods destined for the Chinese market.
Seaweed and spices are among the products with export potential, given their importance to Zanzibar’s agricultural and marine-based economy.
Ms Chen said the initiative could help local producers add value to their products, access wider markets and increase their earnings, provided they met the required quality standards and market conditions.
She said growing trade between the two countries demonstrated the potential for further economic cooperation, particularly through increased Tanzanian exports to China and greater investment in various sectors.
The ambassador also highlighted the contribution of Chinese investment to employment creation in Tanzania, saying such investments has generated 150,000 jobs during the period cited.
She reaffirmed China’s commitment to supporting Tanzania’s development projects, including the construction of infrastructure such as airports and roads, which are important for facilitating trade, improving transport and attracting further investment.
Ms Chen said China would continue supporting Tanzania across various development sectors while exploring new commercial opportunities for producers and traders, including those in Zanzibar.
The discussions highlighted the importance of strengthening party-to-party relations and expanding practical economic cooperation to ensure that the longstanding friendship between Tanzania and China delivers greater benefits to businesses, young people and communities.