China, Tanzania, and Zambia signed an initial agreement on Wednesday for a railway project in East Africa to enhance the rail-sea intermodal transportation network, according to Chinese state media.
President Xi Jinping and the presidents of Tanzania and Zambia witnessed the signing of the memorandum of understanding on a Tanzania-Zambia railway project during their attendance at the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation in Beijing.
According to state media, President Xi expressed China’s readiness to use the summit as an opportunity to advance the Tanzania-Zambia railway, collaborate to enhance the rail-sea intermodal transport network in East Africa and establish Tanzania as a demonstrative area for deepening high-quality China-Africa Belt and Road cooperation.
Earlier this year, the World Bank granted $270 million in financing to enhance connectivity between Tanzania and Zambia and promote regional trade.
The Tanzania-Zambia Railway Authority (TAZARA) serves the Dar es Salaam corridor connecting the two countries, a crucial route for copper exports from the central African Copperbelt region.
This connection provides an alternative route to bypass logistical challenges in South Africa, which have delayed the export of copper and cobalt from Zambia and the Democratic Republic of Congo.