CCM and the Communist Party of China (CPC) have expressed optimism about the future of Sino-Tanzania ties amidst global changes, with intent to elevate bilateral cooperation to new heights.

Dr Emmanuel Nchimbi, the party secretary general, exhibited this optimism after exchange of views with Tang Dengjie, a CPC central committee member who paid him a courtesy call at the CCM sub-headquarters in Dar es Salaam at the weekend.

Underscoring enduring and mutually beneficial relationship between the two parties, the meeting was a notable event in the CCM calendar with an official three-day visit by the senior Chinese official, the party secretary for the northern Shanxi Province, and chairman of China Atomic Energy Authority, who lately led a delegation to the 61st International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) general conference held in the Austrian capital of Vienna,

While China has significant investments in the country with an estimated 260 projects in various sectors and arguably the biggest source of substantial foreign investments, the visit indicates interest in the country’s emerging critical minerals sub-sector, observers noted.

China is a leading source of critical minerals and leads the major economies in exports of batteries, in which case Tanzania has something to learn from its experience, especially in the area of adding value to minerals, a key policy orientation, they said.

Dr Nchimbi lauded the longstanding friendship between Tanzania and China, underpinned by revolutionary traditions of CCM and CPC, enabling the strategic ties to be strengthened across six decades of diplomatic relations. 

He referred to ideological, political, economic and social principles guiding this partnership, seeing it as a role model across Africa and in the wider world.

"CCM and CPC share a fraternal friendship that has evolved into a solid foundation for fostering economic interaction and investment openings thus enhancing the welfare of our people," he stated.

The meeting was a continuation of discussions since high-level engagements arising from the visit to China by President Samia Suluhu Hassan in November 2022, where 15 agreements were signed in various spheres of cooperation.

At that time the bilateral relationship was elevated to a comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership, a situation indicated by the fact that when President Xi Jinping took office early 2013, Tanzania was the first country he visited, and when he was sworn in again late 2022, President Samia was the first foreign leader to make a state visit after inauguration.

Successful collaboration is visible in construction, health, tourism, agriculture, medicine, trade and private investments, with Chinese investments widening in the country’s burgeoning markets and regional trade regimes.

In response, the visiting central committee member reaffirmed China's commitment to deepening bilateral ties and supporting initiatives that benefit both countries and their people.

 "The 60 years of diplomatic relations between China and Tanzania stand as a testament to our enduring friendship and mutual respect," he said, pointing at the robust economic cooperation between the two countries, as China has been Tanzania's top trading partner for eight consecutive years. 

In 2023, bilateral trade stood at $8.78 billion, a 5.66 percent increase from the preceding year, he said, pointing at the historical context of the Tanzania-Zambia Railway (TAZARA).

It is a symbol of enduring Sino-African friendship, highlighting its role in enhancing connectivity of independent states in the 1970s and regional development as a whole, he added.