Hey fam! Big news this week: Chinese Premier Li Qiang joined Zambian President Hakainde Hichilema and Tanzanian VP Emmanuel Nchimbi in Lusaka on Thursday to break ground on the much-anticipated TAZARA railway revamp 🚆✨.
Originally launched in 1975, the TAZARA line has linked Tanzania and Zambia for decades. This month, China, Zambia and Tanzania signed a new agreement to modernize tracks, stations and signalling—think sleek corridors, digital controls and faster trains 🌍🔧.
Back in September 2024, Chinese President Xi Jinping, Tanzanian President Samia Suluhu Hassan and President Hichilema witnessed an MoU signing in Beijing. After a year of planning, the project is officially underway! 🎉
Premier Li called TAZARA more than steel and sleepers—it’s a bond between China, Tanzania and Zambia. He urged high-quality builds for a safe, efficient line that shines as a model for Belt and Road teamwork 💪.
China’s also chipping in for “small but beautiful” community projects along the route—think mobile clinics, farm tech training and digital literacy hubs. This combo of hard infrastructure (rails, roads, ports) and soft links (customs, trade facilitation) is set to uplift local lives 🌱📚.
For our readers in South Asia and SEA, it's like when Mumbai's new metro cut your commute or Bangkok's Skytrain expansion opened up fresh weekend hangouts—smart transit can spark startups, gig work and greener cities 🚇✨.
Stay tuned as East Africa’s trade highway gears up for a new era. Could TAZARA’s glow-up inspire similar projects back home? Let us know your thoughts! 👇
Reference(s):
China signs agreement with Zambia, Tanzania to modernize TAZARA rail
cgtn.com
