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Friday 2 May 2014

Tanzania - a new regional power house for East Africa - 坦桑尼亚



 
Serengeti National Park, Tanzania, 坦桑尼亚

China is playing a significant role in helping Tanzania to become the regional economic power house of East Africa by providing financial support in development of major infrastructure projects. 

Tanzania's 坦桑尼亚 economic fortunes have been boosted by the discovery of vast natural gas reserves in the southern regions of Mtwara and Lindi, but it is China's investment that is helping to bring the new gas resources on stream as it is financing the major energy and infrastructure projects .

China is financing a US$1.2 billion gas pipeline project from Mtwara to Dar es Salaam, which is expected to be completed later this year. Once completed, Tanzania will start to export its power to its East African neighbours in 2015.

In addition, China is also financing two mega-power projects at Kinyerezi area in Dar es Salaam, the Kinyerezi I and II which are expected to boost electricity generation for domestic consumption and export.

The Asian economic power house will also finance construction of a port, special economic zone and a railway network at the historical town of Bagamoyo on the coast in a project estimated to involve more than US$10 billion. 
 
Map of Tanzania 坦桑尼亚, Bagamoyo where the new port will be built

It is against this backdrop that Tanzania is on course to become the East African regional economic power. Tanzania is soon likely to have the potential  to become the regional centre for trade, manufacturing, logistics and IT upon completion of the major gas pipeline project and other mega electricity projects as well as the envisaged construction of Bagamoyo port.
 
Tanzania also has the potential to become the regional centre of tourism due to its tourists attractions including two out of seven wonders of the world. Tanzania is home to Mt. Kilimanjaro which at 5985m it is Africa's highest peak and the world's tallest freestanding mountain.

It is also home to the Serengeti National Park, famous for its annual migration of over 1.5 million white bearded wildebeest and 250,000 zebra. China is also working with Tanzania to improve tourist infrastructure such as hotels and transport services to make it an even more desirable tourist destination.