China-Tanzania Friendship: Why youths must build the next chapter

WHEN the first trains rolled along the TAZARA Railway decades ago, they carried more than passengers and cargo. They carried a powerful symbol of friendship between Tanzania and China and that is one built on solidarity, shared development and a common belief that cooperation should improve people’s lives. Today, as the two countries look towards the next generation of their relationship, a new generation of young Tanzanians and Chinese is being called upon to carry that friendship forward.

Ambassador of the People’s Republic of China to Tanzania, Chen Mingjian, said young people must be placed at the centre of China-Tanzania cooperation because they hold the key to sustaining and deepening relations between the two countries. She made the remarks during the China-Tanzania Dialogue on Youth Development and Exchange held in Dar es Salaam on Wednesday. The event brought together nearly 80 representatives from the governments of China and Tanzania, universities, infrastructure companies, the media and student communities.

The Dialogue came in a significant year, as 2026 marks the 70th anniversary of ChinaAfrica diplomatic relations and has been designated the ChinaAfrica Year of People-to-People Exchanges. Ambassador Chen said the friendship between China and Tanzania had been built over seven decades through practical cooperation and people-to-people connections. “Over the past seven decades, China and Tanzania have written a remarkable chapter of solidarity and cooperation.

Our friendship has been tested by time and proven by action. From the TAZARA Railway to the Nyerere Bridge, our cooperation has always put people at the centre,” she said. She described young people as an important force in building a new era of the all-weather China-Africa community with a shared future, urging youth from both countries to take a more active role in bilateral relations.

Three hopes for youth Ambassador Chen outlined three hopes for youth exchanges between the two countries. First, she encouraged young people to become “dream-chasers” who connect their personal ambitions with national development and the broader process of economic and social transformation. Second, she urged them to become a “bridge of mutual learning” by strengthening friendship through cultural exchange, dialogue and respect for each other’s traditions.

Third, she called on youth to become a “vital for…