8 major aid projects by China in Africa

From building railways to constructing theaters, China has made major contributions to countries throughout Africa. A closer look at some:

Tanzania-Zambia (TAZARA) Railway (Tanzania, Zambia)

The TAZARA Railway links the Tanzanian port of Dar es Salaam with the town of Kapiri Mposhi in Zambia. The railway is 1,860 km in length and was built as a turnkey project financed and executed by China. Construction began in 1970 and was completed in 1975. Construction costs were about $500 million.

African Union Conference Center and Office Complex (Ethiopia)

As the headquarters of the African Union, the AU Conference Center cost $200 million and was totally funded by the Chinese government. It is the largest aid project by China in Africa since the TAZARA railway. The main building is 99.9 meters tall and is the tallest building in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

Merowe Dam (Sudan)

Located in northern Sudan on the Nile River, the Merowe Dam is the largest contemporary hydropower project in Africa, which contains a reservoir of 20 percent of the Nile's annual flow. It is the largest foreign project the Chinese industry has participated in, and construction was finished in 2009.

Zimpeto Stadium (Mozambique)

The Zimpeto Stadium is a multi-use stadium in Zimpeto, Mozambique, which was inaugurated on April 23, 2011. It is mainly used for soccer and was the main stadium for the 2011 All-Africa Games. It has a capacity of 42,000 spectators. The stadium was built with funds from the Chinese government.

Dakar National Grand Theater (Senegal)

The Grand Theatre in Dakar was constructed from 2008-2011 by China National Complete Plant Import Export Corporation as a gift. The six-story, 1,800 seat theatre was built at a cost of 16 billion CFA francs ($34 million), of which China paid 14 billion CFA francs and Senegal contributed the rest.

Addis Ababa-Adama Expressway (Ethiopia)

The Addis Ababa-Adama expressway, built at a cost of more than $709 million, will reduce average travel time of the 84km route from the current three hours to less than one hour. The six-lane highway is designed in accordance with Chinese standards, and the Chinese government provided concessionary loans.

Maputo Airport New Terminals (Mozambique)

As the largest airport in Mozambique, Maputo Airport was upgraded with concessionary loans from the Chinese government. The project includes two parts: the international terminal was completed in 2010, and the domestic terminal in 2012.

Mali Hospital (Mali)

The Mali Hospital, built with Chinese aid, officially opened in September 2011, where China's medical aid team conducted the first heart operation in Mali.

Tanzania-Zambia Photo: Richard Stupart / For China Daily

Other photos: Xinhua

(China Daily Africa Weekly 05/09/2014 page5)