Honourable Haroun Ali Suleiman, Minister of State President's Office, for Constitution, Legal Affairs, Civil Services and Good Governance,
Honourable Lela Muhamed Mussa, Minister of Education and Vocational Training,
Honourable Riziki Pembe Juma, Minister of Information, Youth, Culture and Sports,
Honorable Consul Generals from diplomatic corps, Zanzibari Friends , Fellow Chinese compatriots in Zanzibar,
Ladies and Gentlemen,
Good evening!
It is my great honor and pleasure to gather with all of you tonight, amid the pleasant breeze of Zanzibar’s Indian Ocean and the fragrance of cloves, to jointly celebrate the 77th anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic of China. On behalf of the Chinese Consulate General in Zanzibar, I would like to extend my warmest welcome to all distinguished guests present tonight, my sincere festive greetings to all Chinese compatriots residing and working in Zanzibar, and my heartfelt gratitude to all Zanzibari friends and people from all walks of life who have long been committed to China‑Tanzania and China‑Zanzibar friendship and cooperation!
Over the past 77 years, through persistent efforts, China has achieved remarkable and world‑recognized development accomplishments. China has become the world’s second‑largest economy and major driver of global growth, contributing around 30 percent annually to world economic expansion. It fulfilled the UN 2030 poverty reduction target ten years ahead of schedule, lifting nearly 100 million rural people out of poverty. As 2026 marks the first year of the 15th Five‑Year Plan, China’s economy maintains steady and high‑quality development, with a 4.7 percent year‑on‑year GDP growth in the first half of the year. Our trade vitality continues to rise: China’s goods imports and exports rose 16.9 percent year on year, and trade with Africa grew by 19.6 percent, demonstrating the strong resilience and potential of China’s development as well as China’s firm commitment to opening‑up and win‑win cooperation with Africa.
Meanwhile, China has firmly upheld multilateralism, actively implemented the four global initiatives to promote world peace and development, and delivered tangible outcomes under the Forum on China‑Africa Cooperation, and shared development opportunities with developing countries worldwide.
The friendship between China and Tanzania, and China and Zanzibar, is deeply rooted in history, forged through solidarity in hardship and nurtured by generations of mutual dedication. It stands as a time‑honored model of sincere friendship and win‑win cooperation between China and African nations.
The iconic TAZARA Railway is an immortal symbol of China‑Africa fraternity and mutual support. Carrying shared memories and sincere friendship of our two peoples, this monumental project has witnessed over half a century of profound China‑Tanzania bonds.
The past year has brought a new climax to the China‑Tanzania comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership. In early 2026, Member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and Foreign Minister Wang Yi paid an official visit to Tanzania, embodying China’s long‑standing diplomatic priority on Africa. As the first senior foreign diplomat to visit Tanzania after the new government took office, this visit reflected China’s firm political trust and sincere friendship for Tanzania. The two sides issued the joint press communiqué From Shared History to Shared Future: Building a Productive China‑Tanzania Partnership, reaching extensive consensus on political mutual trust, pragmatic cooperation and multilateral coordination.
During this landmark visit, both sides endorsed and pushed forward the revitalization of the TAZARA Railway Project. We are actively implementing the China‑Tanzania‑Zambia joint declaration on building the TAZARA Railway Economic Prosperity Belt. We will advance comprehensive development along the railway corridor, improve railway‑port connectivity, unlock regional economic potential, and build the Belt into an exemplary high‑quality Belt and Road cooperation project in Africa. This initiative has injected powerful momentum into bilateral practical cooperation and regional interconnected development.
Thanks to sound overall China‑Tanzania relations, China‑Zanzibar friendly cooperation has achieved down‑to‑earth and fruitful results over the past year.
In development assistance and livelihood projects, China has supported Zanzibar’s infrastructure upgrading, marine ecological observation capacity‑building, water supply renovation and public welfare programs, consolidating its independent development foundation and bringing real benefits to local residents.
In medical and health cooperation, the Chinese medical team has provided dedicated medical assistance, grassroots treatment and public health services across Zanzibar. We have carried out schistosomiasis prevention and control, donated medical supplies and equipment, and strengthened technical training for local medical staff. These efforts have improved Zanzibar’s public health governance and grassroots medical capacity, writing new chapters for China‑Zanzibar health‑related friendship.
In economic and trade cooperation, China continues to apply preferential tariff policies for least developed countries to facilitate exports of Zanzibar’s cloves, spices and specialty products, boosting local industries, economic vitality and inclusive growth.
In people‑to‑people and cultural exchanges, the two sides maintain frequent interactions in education, youth training and cultural communication. More Zanzibari students study in China, deepening mutual understanding and tightening our people‑to‑people bonds.
All these solid cooperation achievements show that China‑Zanzibar friendship is rooted in the people, serves the people, and keeps pace with the times.
Looking ahead, China will always adhere to the principles of sincerity, real results, amity and good faith, and uphold mutual benefit and win‑win progress. We will continue to consolidate and elevate the comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership with Tanzania, and further deepen all‑dimensional friendly cooperation with Zanzibar.
We will deepen strategic mutual trust, maintain close high‑level communication and diplomatic coordination, and firmly support each other’s development paths and core interests. We will steadily implement consensus from Foreign Minister Wang Yi’s visit, and fully advance TAZARA Railway revitalization and the TAZARA Prosperity Belt construction to empower regional integrated development.
We will expand pragmatic cooperation in key fields including infrastructure connectivity, marine economy, ecological environment, public health, green development and trade investment, to deliver more livelihood dividends to the people of Zanzibar and Tanzania.
We will enrich people‑to‑people exchanges, expand platforms for medical cooperation, educational training and cultural interaction, pass down our time‑honored friendship from generation to generation, and consolidate the solid popular foundation of bilateral friendly relations.
We will also work hand in hand with Tanzanian and Zanzibari friends to uphold multilateralism, respond actively to global challenges such as climate change and public health crises, and jointly safeguard the common interests and development rights of developing countries.
Dear guests and friends,
Seventy‑seven years of hard work have forged China’s extraordinary achievements, and time‑honored friendship lights up a promising shared future. Standing at this new historical starting point, China will forge ahead with determination and embrace the world with greater openness. The Chinese Consulate General in Zanzibar will faithfully fulfill its diplomatic duties, wholeheartedly serve overseas Chinese compatriots, and make unremitting efforts to lift China‑Tanzania and China‑Zanzibar friendly cooperative relations to new heights.
May our great motherland enjoy eternal prosperity and lasting peace!
May China‑Tanzania and China‑Zanzibar traditional friendship endure forever!
May all distinguished guests and friends enjoy good health, happiness and every success!
Thank you all!