Tanzania: Dar Eyes More Investments From Beijing

y Alvar Mwakyusa

TANZANIA'S embassy in China has expressed its determination to attract more investors, tourists, scholarships and explore additional markets for local products in the

south eastern Asian country which is the world's second-largest economy.

Chinese investments in Tanzania through the Belt and Road Initiative last year stood at 5.77 billion US dollars (about 12.7trl/-) through 670 projects, which created 150,000 jobs for local people in various sectors of the economy.

The two friendly countries have enjoyed 55 years of cooperation in trade among others, since they signed an agreement on bi-lateral diplomatic relations, signalling a daring move by a developing country like Tanzania to enter into collaboration with the communist China at the critical time of the cold war.

"The embassy of Tanzania in China appreciates cooperation from citizens of the two countries as well as government stakeholders, the private sector and the media in fostering the bilateral relations this year," Tanzania's Ambassador to China, Mr Mbelwa Kairuki, said in a statement.

The envoy affirmed that the embassy will continue to cooperate with all partners to identify and exploit training opportunities for Tanzanians in China, besides boosting investments, markets and tourism from Beijing to Dar es Salaam.

"It is my hope that during the coming year 2020, the embassy will continue receiving support from stakeholders and exploit markets for Tanzania's products in the Chtechnologies as well as scholarships for different fields of learning," the envoy commented.

Mr Kairuki stated further that several events have been lined up to promote tourism and Tanzanian products in China and Vietnam next year, citing them as the envisaged Tanzania Tourism Roadshow to be held in Chinese major cities of Guangzhou, Shanghai, Beijing and Chengdu in April, next year.

The litany of events also includes the China Outbound Travel & Tourism Market (COTTM Conference) set for between April 1 and 3, in April 2020, and the Shanghai World Travel Fair to be held between April 23 and 26, next year in China.

During the same month of April next year, there will be the Tanzania Tourism Roadshow to be held in Hannoi and Ho Chin in Vietnam.

"Hopes are very high that the number of tourists from China will increase significantly next year, because the national carrier Air Tanzania Company Limited will start direct flights from Dar es Salaam to Guangzhou," he explained.

Apart from the ATCL direct flights between the two commercial cities, plans are also underway to introduce chartered flights for tourists from Hangzhou in China to Tanzania starting from February next year.

Ambassador Kairuki stressed that the Tanzania's embassy in China will explore all opportunities to market Tanzanian products in the Chinese market through exhibitions to be held in the south eastern nation.

Such exhibitions include the first phase of Canton Fair Exhibition to be held between April 15 and 19, 2020 and followed by the second phase between October 15 and 19, next year.

"There also will be the China International Importation Expo slated for November 5 and 10, next year. Tanzania will have two pavilions to market and promote its agriculture produce and minerals," he explained.

According to Ambassador Kairuki, Tanzania will as well convene four rounds of meetings next year to promote investment opportunities in Tanzania and as well as explore scholarships for Tanzanians to study engineering and medicines in China.