singapore hotel: Bagamoyo port work for inauguration

Thứ Ba, 19 tháng 3, 2013

Bagamoyo port work for inauguration

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Published on Wednesday, 20 March 2013 04:42

Written by MARC NKWAME in Beijing

THE Tanzanian Ambassador to China, Mr Philip Marmo.

CHINA’S new president, Mr Xi Jinping, is expected to officially inaugurate the construction of the proposed modern Port at Bagamoyo, in Coast Region, when he jets into Tanzania on his first state visit abroad.

Addressing a forum of Chinese Companies that are investing in Africa at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Beijing, the Tanzanian envoy to China, Mr Philip Marmo, said that the proposed ultra-modern port to be constructed at Bagamoyo will be a crucial point of entry linking Africa to Asia and Europe through a special export processing zone.

Mr Marmo said that China will be supporting Tanzania in executing the ambitious project which will also include a satellite city and airport. This, he said, will be in addition to a major highway connecting the port to inland regions of Tanzania as well as neighbouring landlocked countries.

“Bagamoyo is geographically feasible when it comes to international trade as it has been found to be the closest location on the continent when reaching Africa from Singapore, but also the central point where the East and central parts of Africa converge,” said Mr Marmo.

China’s Vice-Foreign Minister, Mr Zhai Jun, said that in addition to the said task, the new President of China will hold talks with the Tanzanian Head of State, Mr Jakaya Kikwete in Dar es Salaam. The two leaders will be expected to discuss new areas of cooperation, trade and investments.

The Chinese leader is expected to jet into Tanzania on March 24, this year. “China believes that Tanzania is in a better position to pivot our country’s new vision for Africa in which the ‘Chinese dream’ is to complement the ‘African dream’ in realizing both goals aimed at improving their citizens’ welfare through speeding up development,” said Mr Jun.

He said that the ‘Chinese dream’ was to improve the lives of its 1.3 billion citizens by 2020 when residents are expected to have their individual earnings either doubled or tripled.

Earlier on, the Director General of African Affairs at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs here, Mr Lu Shaye, said the new Chinese president, Mr Xi Jinping, places Tanzania on top priority because the country will be the first in Africa that he will be visiting from March 24, this year.

“Historically, Tanzania is the oldest friend of China in Africa since the days of the founding President, Mwalimu Julius Nyerere, who is still a household name in China,” said Mr Shaye.

He added that the new leader was keen on rekindling as well as elevating the friendship to a higher level. “Our president believes that Tanzania will play an important role as partner in the new Chinese agenda of strengthening cooperation with the African continent through economic, social and cultural exchanges,” he said.