Cost comparison SGR Kenya vs SGR Tanzania

Cost comparison SGR Kenya vs SGR Tanzania

ChinaDiplomacy

China on track to control African Tazara railway despite geopolitical needling over control of mineral trade routes

Tazara is an ailing railway line between Tanzania and Zambia, originally funded by Mao Zedong’s government in the 1970s
Once upgraded, it will provide a key transport route for critical minerals used in the production of batteries for electric vehicles
China-Africa relations
+ FOLLOW
Jevans Nyabiage
Jevans Nyabiage
+ FOLLOW
Published: 4:00pm, 12 Nov, 2023
Why you can trust SCMP

Amid growing geopolitical tensions over the control of trading routes for critical minerals in Africa, China has chosen the China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation (CCECC) to negotiate a concession to operate the Tanzania-Zambia Railway line.

It is expected to give a much-needed lifeline to the almost 50-year-old railway, also known as Tazara, which was originally funded by Mao Zedong’s government as a foreign aid project.

CCECC, a subsidiary of the China Railway Construction Corporation, is expected to negotiate a public-private partnership concession in the form of a build-operate-transfer model with Tanzania and Zambia to operate Tazara. It is also expected to upgrade the railway – which Chinese President Xi Jinping has called “a symbol of China-Africa friendship” – at an estimated cost of US$1 billion.

Last month, the Tanzania-Zambia Railway Authority announced the news, saying Chinese investors and the CCECC were poised to play a significant role, hence the company’s proposal was “expected imminently”.

 
Back
Top Bottom