The relationship between China and Tanzania, Tanzania’s initial decision to move away from China’s BRI and the subsequent consequences.
Early Friendship and Chinese Assistance
China and Tanzania established diplomatic ties in 1964.
Despite being a developing country itself, China helped Tanzania with infrastructure projects like the Tanzania-Zambia Railway, factories, farms, and hydropower.
China provided agricultural technology, increasing Tanzania’s food production significantly from 500,000 tons in the 1960s to 1.5 million tons in the 1980s.
China also contributed to education and healthcare, building universities and sending medical teams to treat over 2 million patients and train 3,000 local personnel.
Tanzania, along with other nations, supported China’s restoration of its legitimate seat in the United Nations in 1971.
Tanzania’s Shift Away from China
Around 2019, under President Magufuli, Tanzania adopted a “de-Sinicization” policy, influenced by Western narratives that portrayed the BRI as a “debt trap.”
Western countries like the US, UK, and Japan offered alternative support to encourage Tanzania to reduce its reliance on China.
Consequences of the Shift
The promised Western investments did not materialize as expected; for instance, the UK and Japan offered only a fraction of the investment needed for the Bagamoyo Port project.
Tanzania faced economic setbacks, including job losses and a decline in foreign direct investment (FDI).
Chinese companies and capital left Tanzania, moving to other East African countries.
Healthcare and agricultural support declined, leading to a rise in disease rates and increased reliance on food imports.
Tanzania’s per capita GDP remained low compared to the African average and countries that continued to cooperate with China.
Resumption of Cooperation with China
After President Magufuli’s death in 2021, the new president, Samia Suluhu Hassan, resumed negotiations with China.
China’s investment in Tanzania increased by 35% in Q1 2024, and the Bagamoyo port project resumed.
Tanzania’s GDP growth rate recovered, and it joined the BRICS New Development Bank, using RMB for trade settlement to reduce reliance on the US dollar.
