CHATO, Tanzania, Jan. 8 (Xinhua) -- Visiting Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi on Friday said under the leadership of President John Magufuli, the Tanzanian government and people have worked hard and blazed a path of revitalization suited to its national conditions.

"As friends, we are sincerely happy about the achievements and express our warm congratulations," said Wang at a joint press conference here with Tanzanian Minister of Foreign Affairs and East African Cooperation Palamagamba Kabudi.

Tanzania is a staunch friend of China in Africa and holds a special and important place in China's diplomatic history and the story of China-Tanzania friendship is the most vivid memory of every Chinese in their youth, he said.

China will not forget that it was the late Chairman Mao Zedong and Premier Zhou Enlai, and then Tanzanian President Julius Nyerere who forged the all-weather friendship between China and Tanzania with sincerity, Wang said.

The late Premier Zhou visited Tanzania from thousands of miles apart and President Nyerere visited China 13 times in his life, said Wang, adding that these scenes have forged a historical chapter of China-Tanzania friendship.

China will not forget that more than 50,000 Chinese engineers and technicians traveled across oceans to Africa and fought side by side with the Tanzanian people to build the Tanzania-Zambia Railway under extremely difficult conditions, said Wang.

During the construction of the railway, which is hailed as a "road of freedom" and "road of friendship", 65 Chinese experts have sacrificed their precious lives, and their sweat and blood have watered the eternal flower of China-Africa friendship, said Wang.

China will never forget that Tanzania, along with other African brothers, in 1971 helped the People's Republic of China (PRC) to restore its lawful seat in the United Nations, said Wang.

And former Tanzanian Prime Minister Salim Ahmed Salim, as a representative spearheading the campaign, congratulated the PRC with cheering and applause at the venue, which left a record on the UN stage of defying power and upholding justice, Wang noted, adding that as the PRC celebrated the 70th anniversary of its founding in 2019, Salim was granted China's Friendship Medal.

China will never forget that Tanzania was the first African country that President Xi Jinping visited after he took office as the Chinese president in 2013. During that visit, Xi proposed the principles of sincerity, practical results, affinity and good faith and the approach of upholding the values of friendship, justice and shared interests, which is now the guiding principle of China when dealing its relations with Africa, said Wang.

The value of China-Tanzania relations has gone beyond the bilateral scope and played an important role in guiding China-Africa relations and South-South cooperation, he said.

Wang said the two sides have agreed that China-Tanzania traditional friendship is a precious treasure shared by both sides and the people of China and Africa, adding that it must be cherished, passed on from generation to generation and carried forward.

Wang said both sides have agreed to make full use of their shared vision and goals in the construction of country, political parties and armed forces, in a bid to further enhance communications at all levels and deepen exchanges of experience on governance.

Wang said both sides have agreed to strengthen practical cooperation, jointly build the Belt and Road, support more Chinese enterprises to invest in Tanzania and expand the import of Tanzanian high-quality products.

China fully understands the significance of Tanzania's construction of the standard gauge railway and is willing to continue to support Tanzania in promoting major infrastructure construction, accelerating the industrialization process and enhancing Tanzania's capacity for independent development, Wang said.

Wang said both sides have agreed to strengthen coordination in international affairs, jointly support multilateralism, oppose external interference, safeguard international equity and justice, and build a strong fortress to safeguard each other's core interests and the common interests of developing countries.

"This is my 15th visit to Africa. What has impressed me most during the trip is that, no matter what kind of international situation, difficulties and obstacles we are facing and no matter what kind of interference or damage we are confronting, the traditional friendship between China and Africa remains unchanged and becomes stronger over time," said Wang.

China and Africa are comrades-in-arms who share life and death, brothers who care for each other, and partners for common development on the way forward, said Wang.

Noting that as a good friend and true friend of African countries, Wang said China is willing to work with African countries to unswervingly deepen the China-Africa comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership, and join hands to forge a closer China-Africa community with a shared future. Enditem

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