Boom time for Chinese involvement in Africa's Tanzania

Shanghai Electric Power Co and Tanzania Electric Supply Co Ltd will invest about $400 million in Kinyerezi Power Project in Tanzania.

East Africa nation's infrastructure will be greatly improved after important deals were sealed

Chinese companies and their Tanzanian counterparts signed seven cooperative agreements and memorandums of understanding (MOUs) valued at billions of dollars in Guangzhou late last week.

The agreements mainly involved energy, mineral resources, power supply, housing and other infrastructure industries.

The signing ceremonies were witnessed by Mizengo Pinda, the prime minister of the United Republic of Tanzania, and Lu Youqing, the Chinese ambassador to Tanzania, at the first Tanzania-China Business Forum in the capital of Guangdong province on October 24.

The forum was jointly organized by the Tanzania Investment Centre and the China Africa Business Council. Officials from Chinese and Tanzanian enterprises and business executives at the one-day forum also discussed investment and trade in a bid to expand the two nations' economic ties.

Pinda praised the role played by the Tanzania-China Business Forum in helping to improve economic ties between the countries.

Pinda, who led a big trade delegation, arrived in Guangzhou after attending the 14th Western China International Fair in Beijing, where he also met Chinese Premier Li Keqiang to discuss the expansion of economic ties.

Pinda's delegation comprised ministers, regional commissioners, members of parliament, executives from private sector institutions, officials from the Tanzania Investment Center and other senior government officials and businesspeople.

"Chinese people will continue to provide assistance to Tanzania as capacity allows. Also we hope the Tanzanian side will provide the necessary support for the Chinese enterprises involved in development there," Li told Pinda.