Tanzania to benefit from China's reform and opening-up

(Xinhua)
Updated: 2009-02-13 22:21

DAR ES SALAAM -- In Tanzania, Reginald Mengi is not a nobody. Being the executive chairman of the famous IPP media group, he has just been nominated as one of Africa's greatest entrepreneurs.

During an interview on the eve of Chinese President Hu Jintao's state visit to Tanzania, Mengi said his country can benefit from China's 30 years' experience of reform and opening-up.

In the past three decades, China has maintained rapid and sustainable development, making itself now one of the world's largest economies and trading nations, he said.

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"Its (China's) technological development that has taken it to space," Mengi said. "(And) the opening-up has resulted in more global understanding of China and has enhanced its participation in world affairs."

He considered Chinese President Hu's state visit, slated from February 14 to 16, as another symbol of the long-standing friendship between China and Tanzania, and also an opportunity for the two nations to enhance economic cooperation.

"Chinese and Tanzanian businesses could form joint ventures in mining, large-scale agro-business, processing of agro-products, promotion of tourism between China and Tanzania, and investment in infrastructure," he said.

Mengi hoped Hu's visit could bring more aid, trade, investment in Tanzania's health and education sectors, more technological transfers and assistance in the country's capacity-building.

He also hoped China could help Tanzanians in their fight to eradicate poverty and to gradually reduce their dependence on raw material exports, and instead strengthen the production and export of value-added commodities.