DAR ES SALAM: China’s top diplomat has warned against foreign interference in Tanzania as he ended a visit where he avoided any mention of the political violence that has soured the East African country’s relations with the West.
Wang Yi is the first foreign minister to pay an official visit to Tanzania since the bloody crackdown on election protesters late last year.
The Tanzanian opposition says at least 2,000 people were killed by security forces following the Oct. 29 legislative and presidential elections which international observers deemed fraudulent.
FASTFACTS
• The Tanzanian opposition says at least 2,000 people were killed by security forces following the Oct. 29 legislative and presidential elections.
• China, which has invested heavily in Tanzania in recent years, did not comment on the crackdown that sparked a wave of global criticism.
China, which has invested heavily in Tanzania in recent years, did not comment on the crackdown that sparked a wave of global criticism.
In a statement shared after the visit, Tanzanian authorities said Wang had congratulated the country for the “successful conduct” of the elections.
“China reiterated its full confidence in Tanzania’s leadership and institutions to manage internal affairs independently,” they added.
Meanwhile, a Chinese Foreign Ministry statement said Beijing “opposes any external force interfering in Tanzania’s internal affairs” and stressed its support for the country’s “national sovereignty and security.”
Wang also met Tanzanian leader Samia Suluhu Hassan, who retained the presidency last year with 98 percent of the vote.
He “reaffirmed China’s firm support for Tanzania” during the meeting, a Tanzanian presidency statement said.
The statement pledged to strengthen cooperation and noted a rise in trade between the two countries over the last five years, “thanks to China’s policy of opening its markets to Africa.”
China has beefed up its investments in the country’s low-tax special economic zones, where 343 Chinese-funded projects worth $3.1 billion were registered in 2025 alone, according to the Tanzanian Foreign Ministry. After Tanzania, Wang is expected to continue his African tour in Lesotho.
