In a major boost to regional infrastructure, China, Tanzania, and Zambia have signed a memorandum of understanding to develop the intermodal rail-sea transportation network in East Africa. The MoU regarding the project on the Tanzania-Zambia railway was inked in Beijing during the just-concluded Forum on China-Africa Cooperation, also known as FOCAC. The event, which occurred in the presence of the People’s Republic of China President Xi Jinping, Tanzanian President Samia Suluhu Hassan, and Zambian President Hakainde Hichilema, reflects a new era for their respective countries to reinforce the economic and logistical relationship.
President Xi Jinping highlighted the strategic value of the agreement, stating that the summit marked the beginning of an important phase in development concerning the Tanzania-Zambia railway project. Xi marked the FOCAC as a key opportunity to advance efforts that ensure the Tanzania-Zambia railway is operational, with an expansion of the rail-sea intermodal transport network throughout East Africa. He went further in painting China’s ambition of building Tanzania into a demonstration zone for high-quality China-Africa Belt and Road cooperation, reflecting a wider commitment toward the development of regional connectivity and trade.
The new compact focuses on the management of the Dar es Salaam corridor by the Tanzania-Zambia Railway Authority, commonly referred to as TAZARA. This railway line is a vital transport route for copper from the Central African Copper Belt and an essential complement to logistics routes through South Africa, which get congested. The new compact will try to unlock logistical bottlenecks, reduce export congestion, and increase regional trade by increasing efficiency and capacity along the Dar es Salaam corridor.
In a related move to support this infrastructure project, the World Bank approved, earlier on, $270 million in financing to enhance connectivity between Tanzania and Zambia. This will keep the rail network functional and more productive to facilitate trade and economic growth in the region. The financial support from the World Bank is intended to complement efforts by the participating countries toward building a strong and efficient transportation network capable of handling increased trade volumes, hence fostering regional economic integration.
The modernized rail-sea transport system will have impacts that could cascade throughout East Africa and even reach beyond, improving not only the efficiency of transporting goods but also spurring economic development and regional cooperation. With this improved connectivity, transportation costs could be lower, with quickened transit times and better competitiveness in the global market for East African firms.
The Tanzania-Zambia railway project is also an important milestone within the context of general China-Africa relations. The BRI is a global development strategy that China has espoused to improve trade routes and economic links between China and other regions, such as Africa. By investing in important infrastructure projects, such as the Tanzania-Zambia railway, China is reinforcing its commitment to the BRI and supporting the development goals of its African partners.
Every step of the project will be marked with eyes by the stakeholders in the respective countries and, for that matter, the international community at large. In fact, it is a truism that the successful execution of the agreement can be exemplary for further infrastructure cooperation between China and African countries besides demonstrating the benefits of strategic investments in transport and regional development.
The agreement of China, Tanzania, and Zambia crowned a key milestone in the development of East Africa’s rail-sea intermodal transport system. Heavily financed by the World Bank and politically well-supported by the heads of state from the participating countries, the Tanzania-Zambia railway line project might usher in new stimuli to regional linkage economic growth and Sino-African relations. While these developments take shape, impacts on trade, logistics, and regional integration in East Africa are observed to be paramount throughout the course of the work.
