Chinese President Xi Jinping unveiled a massive port project in Tanzania during his first official visit to Africa as Head of State, highlighting China’s growing infrastructure investment in Tanzania and Africa.
Chinese investment in and trade with Tanzania soared over the past decade and this visit to Tanzania is a symbolic reminder of China’s first major infrastructure project in Africa, the Tanzania-Zambia railroad built in the 1970s.
During his trip, President Xi signed several agreements with Tanzania including plans for a $10bn port project in Bagamoyo.
The Tanzanian port which is located north of Dar es Salaam will be linked to a special industrial zone and function as a trade hub linking Asia and East Africa.
Tanzania has made several natural gas discoveries in recent years and China offered to build and fund a 532km gas pipeline that link gas deposits in south Tanzania to the port in Dar es Salaam.
This visit also produced China Tanzania agreements to increase partnership in other sectors including agriculture, energy and infrastructure.
China is the second-largest foreign investor in Tanzania with ventures in agriculture, mining, coal, and iron ore.
