The United Republic of Tanzania 

Facts:

Area: 947,303 km2

Population: 55,57 million (2016)

Capital: Dodoma

Largest city: Dar es Salaam

National language: Swahili

Location: It lies in East Africa within the African Great Lakes region. It borders Uganda to the north; Kenya to the northeast; Comoro Islands in the Indian Ocean to the east; Mozambique and Malawi to the south; Zambia to the southwest; and Rwanda, Burundi, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo to the west. Mount Kilimanjaro, Africa's highest mountain, is in north-eastern Tanzania.

(Photo: Dar es Salaam/VCG)

Economy

Tanzania has sustained relatively high economic growth over the last decade, averaging 6–7 percent a year. Real GDP growth was an estimated 6.7 percent in 2018, down from 7.1 percent in 2017. The services sector was the main contributor to the GDP (39.3 percent), while private investment was the main demand-side contributor (63.9 percent).

China and Tanzania

China established diplomatic relations with Tanganyika on December 9, 1961 and Zanzibar on December 11, 1963. After the union of Tanganyika and Zanzibar, China naturally continued its diplomatic relations with them. The date of the union of Tanganyika and Zanzibar on April 26, 1964 was designated as the same date of the establishment of diplomatic relations with the United Republic of Tanzania. Since the establishment of diplomatic relations, China-Tanzania relations have been developing steadily for a long time.

In 2013, the friendly and cooperative relations between the People's Republic of China and the United Republic of Tanzania further developed, and their cooperation in various fields yielded new fruits. The two countries had close high-level exchanges and deepened their political mutual trust. On March 24-25, 2013, President Xi Jinping paid a state visit to Tanzania. 

Since 1964, China has provided a variety of assistance to Tanzania, including the Tanzania-Zambia Railway, the Friendship Textile Mill. At present, more than 40 companies are engaged in labor contract business in Tanzania. In 2017, bilateral trade amounted to $3.452 billion, a decrease of 11.09 percent compared with the same period last year, of which China’s exports amounted to $3.119 billion and imports amounted to $250 million. 

In 2018, bilateral trade amounted to $3.976 billion, an increase of 15.17 percent over the previous year, of which our exports amounted to $3.583 billion, an increase of 4.88 percent over the previous year, and imports amounted to $393 million, an increase of 17.94 percent over the previous year. China mainly exports machinery and equipment, vehicles and daily necessities, and mainly imports timber, sisal fibers, raw cowhide and seafood.