Your Honorable January Yusuf Makamba, Minister for Foreign Affairs and East African Cooperation, 

Your Honorable Mussa Azzan Zungu, Deputy Speaker of the National Assembly,

Your Honorable Mizengo Peter Pinda, former Prime Minister of the United Republic of Tanzania,

Your Honorable Nape Nnauye, Minister for Information, Communications and Information Technology, 

Your Honorable Engineer Hamad Yusuph Masauni, Minister for Home Affairs, 

Your Honorable Major General Amri Salim Mwam, representing Chief of Tanzania People’s Defence Force, General Jacob John Mkunda,

Your Honorable Amb. Liberata Mulamula, former Minister for Foreign Affairs and East African Cooperation,

Your Excellencies, High Commissioners, Representatives of the International Organizations, 

Friends from different sectors of Tanzania,

My Chinese compatriots, 

Ladies and gentlemen,

Good evening! Habari za jioni!

Today, we are gathered here to celebrate the 74th anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic of China. First of all, on behalf of the Chinese Embassy in Tanzania, I would like to extend a sincere welcome to all the guests attending the reception, and congratulate all the Chinese compatriots in Tanzania on the holiday. My heartfelt gratitude also goes to all the friends who have been consistent contributors to the friendship between China and Tanzania!

Over the past 74 years since its founding, the People’s Republic of China has made remarkable achievements in development. In 2022, the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China (CPC) was held, drawing a grand blueprint for advancing the rejuvenation of the Chinese nation on all fronts through a Chinese path to modernization. In 2023, standing at a new starting point, China will continue to promote high-quality development and high-level opening-up. China’s economic growth rate remains the highest among all major economies in the world, and the country has made solid progress in scientific and technological innovations. Moreover, under the guidance of head-of-state diplomacy, a new splendid chapter of China’s major-country diplomacy has been written. China’s economic stability and development has injected confidence and certainty into a turbulent world.

Here I would like to first brief you on the current economic situation in China. This year, China’s economy has seen a significant recovery, and the quality and efficiency of development has been improved continuously. China’s gross domestic product (GDP) grew 5.5% year on year in the first half of 2023, reaching 59.3 trillion yuan (equivalent to 8.24 trillion USD); Goods imports and exports exceeded 20 trillion yuan (equivalent to 2.8 trillion USD) for the first time; The vehicle export volume in the first seven months reached 2.535 million, making China the world’s largest exporter of automobiles; The International Monetary Fund (IMF) forecast that China will contribute 34.9% to the global economic growth this year, which fully demonstrated the confidence of the outside world in China’s high-quality development. 

This year, China has made many advances and breakthroughs in science and technology, and solid progress has been seen in building China towards an innovative country. In terms of research and development personnel, China continues to rank No.1 in the world. China ranks the 11th in this year’s Global Innovation Index, of which, three international science and technology innovation hubs, namely Beijing, Shanghai and Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, were among the top 10 global science and technology clusters. Tianwen-No.1, which is China’s first Mars mission, achieved orbiting, landing, and roving on Mars in one mission for the first time in history. Chinese astronauts were successfully delivered to its space station. And  the C919, China’s first self-developed trunk jetliner, has completed its commercial maiden flight successfully.

This year, China’s diplomacy weathers a tough year, injecting confidence and strength into a volatile international environment. This year also marks the 10th anniversary of “Building a Community of Shared Future for Mankind” and “the Belt and Road Initiative” proposed by President Xi Jinping. In the past decade, China has signed more than 200 cooperation documents on Belt and Road cooperation with more than 150 countries and over 30 international organizations. Two-way investment between China and the countries along the Belt and Road exceeded 270 billion USD during the period, and over 3,000 cooperation projects were launched, creating 421,000 jobs for the participating countries and lifting 7.6 million people out of absolute poverty every year. China will host the third Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation nextg month, and representatives from 110 countries have confirmed their participation. The Belt and Road Initiative has become the most popular international public good and the largest platform for international cooperation.

This year also marks the 10th anniversary of China’s Africa policy principles proposed by President Xi Jinping, namely “sincerity, real results, affinity and good Faith”. In August this year, President Xi Jinping proposed three initiatives for China-Africa practical cooperation in the next phase. They are Initiative on Supporting Africa’s Industrialization, the Plan for China Supporting Africa’s Agricultural Modernization, and the Plan for China-Africa Cooperation on Talent Development. China is ready to work with Africa to implement these three initiatives, so as to help Africa accelerate industrialization and agricultural modernization, and achieve development and rejuvenation.

Ladies and gentlemen, 

Dear friends!

The traditional friendship between China and Tanzania was forged by the older generations of the leaders of both countries. This year marks the 59th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties between China and Tanzania. In the past 59 years, our two countries have looked out for each other and pulled together as one, the traditional friendship between China and Tanzania has been carried forward from generation to generation and continue to flourish. As all-round and mutually beneficial cooperation in various fields has been continuously consolidated and developed, China-Tanzania relationship has become a model for China-Africa relationship and South-South cooperation.

By maintaining close high-level exchanges, political mutual trust between our two countries has been continuously deepened. Last November, President Samia Suluhu Hassan paid a successful state visit to China. The two heads of state jointly announced the elevation of the China-Tanzania relations to a comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership, which drew the blueprint for the development of bilateral relations in the new era. During the BRICS Summit held in August this year, the two heads of state met again, setting the direction for the two countries to strengthen political collaboration and further deepen practical cooperation in various fields. The two heads of state met twice within nine months, which is a clear manifestation of the high-level strategic mutual trust and the genuine brotherhood between China and Tanzania.

Economic and trade exchanges buck the trend with steady progress on practical cooperation in various fields. China has remained Tanzania’s largest trading partner for seven consecutive years, with bilateral trade reaching 8.31 billion USD in 2022. Take agricultural cooperation as an example, China encourages and supports the development of agriculture in Tanzania and keeps expanding imports of featured agricultural products from Tanzania. Last year, I visited Ruvuma Region, where local women began to plant soybeans under the guidance of Chinese agricultural experts. Recently, I was happy to hear that the region had a bumper soybean harvest, boosting soybean farmers’ income and contributing to their poverty alleviation efforts. As a number of Tanzania’s featured agricultural products, such as soybeans and avocados, continue to gain market access in China, the agricultural cooperation between our two countries will make more contributions to job creation and poverty reduction in Tanzania.

China is also the largest source of foreign investment in Tanzania. One week ago, I was invited, together with President Samia Suluhu Hassan, to attend the launching ceremony of Wangkang Sapphire Float Glass Factory, a project with a total investment of 311 million USD. Chinese enterprises, such as Wangkang Group, have been actively engaged in the industrialization process in Tanzania, creating a large number of job opportunities for Tanzania and bringing tangible development dividends to the local people. 

Personnel exchanges between China and Tanzania have been more frequent, and the friendship between our two peoples has been strengthened. Since the beginning of this year, cultural exchanges between China and Tanzania have continued to develop. We made a proactive effort to support Air Tanzania in increasing the frequency of direct flights between Dar es Salaam and Guangzhou, which now operates three times a week, further facilitating people-to-people exchanges between our two countries. This year, 160 Tanzanian students have received scholarships to study in China. In addition, China keeps providing training opportunities for Tanzania, which cover a wide range of fields such as vocational education, infrastructure building, poverty alleviation, and women empowerment, thus helping the country nurture talents of various disciplines who are urgently needed for national development.

It’s worth mentioning that this year marks the 60th anniversary of China dispatching medical teams to foreign countries. Since China sent its first medical team to Zanzibar in 1964, more than 2,000 Chinese doctors have dispatched to Tanzania. From the foot of Mount Kilimanjaro to the remote areas beside the Ruvuma River, from Zanzibar Islands flourishing with coconut groves to the rippling Lake Tanganyika, they have travelled to most of the places in Tanzania. The Chinese medical teams in Tanzania have braved hardships and dedicated themselves to the noble cause of saving lives with total devotion and ultimate love, thereby making significant contribution to the health of the Tanzanian people with their professionalism, wisdom and persistent efforts. Recently, a Chinese TV series named “Welcome to Milele Village”, which is based on the real experiences of the Chinese medical teams in Africa, has completed its filming in Tanzania. I believe that it will be aired soon, and people of both countries will have the chance to watch it. I hope you enjoy the TV series.

Ladies and gentlemen, 

Dear friends!

In 2024, China and Tanzania will celebrate the 60th anniversary of our diplomatic relations. Both countries will then hold important activities to jointly commemorate the historical moment of the bilateral relations. The commemoration will constitute a big move in upgrading China-Tanzania relations to a higher level of comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership and injecting strong impetus into the development of the bilateral relations in the next 60 years.

Finally, I wish to propose a toast:

To the 74th anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic of China, 

To the prosperity of both China and Tanzania, to the happiness of the people of both countries, and

To the health of all our guests. 

Cheers!

Thank you!