Salim counsels on effective exploitation of Sino-Africa
Former Prime Minister, Dr Salim Ahmed Salim, in an interview with the ‘Daily News’ here that a renewed trust, commitment and transparency were inevitable to realise the benefits.
Dr Salim said the second East African economy has almost everything that China needed from the continent, challenging the country to properly use the opportunity.
Chinese investment in Africa, according to Vice-President Wang Qishan, reached 170 billion US dollars in 2017, with imports from the continent growing by 32 per cent.
“The ball is in our court. It’s us to decide whether to use the opportunity or not. Chinese government and its people do not have any problem with us ... we must swiftly step in and grab it,” the 76-year-old internationalist said.
China established diplomatic relations with Tanganyika and Zanzibar in 1961 and 1963, respectively. When the two sides united in 1964, the Asian nation extended its diplomatic ties accordingly.
In 1965, China and Tanzania signed the Treaty of Friendship, as well as other agreements on bilateral cooperation in the fields of economy, trade, culture and healthThe largest Chinese supported projects in the country include the 1,860-kilometre Tanzania-Zambia Railway (TAZARA), Friendship Textile Mill, Mbarali Rice Farm, Kiwira Coal Mine and Mahonda Sugar Cane Factory.
The former Secretary General of the defunct Organisation of African Unity (OAU) now African Union (AU) said it was high time Tanzania strengthened her cooperation with China, the second largest economy and one of the world’s leading science and technology powerhouses.
“Chinese have been our friends since the 1960s. They supported us even when they were struggling for their economic development ... our leaders must appreciate this and see into it that we put more efforts to enhance this relationship,” he said.
The renowned diplomat noted that there is no single African country that has more excellent historical background with China than Tanzania, advising the East African nation to reassess ways to benefit from its cooperation with China.
Dr Salim showed his dissatisfaction with the fact that there are a number of nations which established relationship with China, just in the recent years but are nearly surpassing Tanzania in terms of grabbing opportunities, challenging the country’s leaders to stay awake. “This is globalisation.
We are proud of our historical friendship and partnership, but to catch up with the world’s demand and speed, improved partnership environment and mindset change are inevitable, competition is fierce now, we must do more,” he added.
Former Tanzania’s Permanent Representative to the UN advised Tanzanians to trust China and ignore widespread propaganda that the populous East Asian nation was behind inferior products.
“China is a powerful country and its role in the world’s development is big ... advanced technology, highly skilled human resource and economically powerful,” said Dr Salim.
He noted that Tanzania needs to see the present China’s win-win economic diplomatic offering opportunity to break out of poverty and embrace new partnership that will guarantee future development of the country.
“Tanzania is in a position to reposition its economy and respond to the needs of the Chinese economy, in the win-win economic policy that the Chinese government is offering for the benefit of both parties,” Dr Salim noted.
He added that much as the country needs economic transformation, it also needs institutional reforms and borrow a leaf from Chinese who have succeeded and are still struggling to achieve more.
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