The Assistant Minister of Commerce of China led a delegation to inspect the SINO TAN Industrial Park.

On April 29, 2025, Tang Wenhong, Member of the CPC Leadership Group and Assistant Minister of Commerce of China, led a delegation to Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, to inspect the SINO TAN Industrial Park.

This visit coincided with the 60th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Tanzania, signaling a positive step toward deepening economic and trade cooperation under the framework of the Belt and Road Initiative.

According to reports, during President Hassan’s visit to China in 2022, she and President Xi Jinping jointly announced the elevation of China-Tanzania relations to a comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership, and agreed to deepen cooperation in Belt and Road construction.

Over the years, bilateral trade and investment between China and Tanzania have continued to grow. As of April 2023, China’s cumulative investment in Tanzania exceeded USD 10 billion, with more than 1,134 registered projects. China remains Tanzania’s largest source of foreign investment.

The delegation, accompanied by staff from the Chinese Embassy in Tanzania, arrived at the SINO TAN Industrial Park.
Located in the Kwala New Area of the Kibaha region on the outskirts of Dar es Salaam, the SINO TAN Industrial Park is the largest national-level industrial park in Tanzania.

This park serves as a key implementation of the China-Africa Production Capacity Cooperation Initiative. It aims to promote Tanzania’s industrialization and local economic development through the operation of the park.

At the One-Stop Service Center, Mr. Huang Zaiseng, Chairman of the SINO TAN Industrial Park, along with the management team and representatives of resident enterprises, briefed Assistant Minister Tang Wenhong and the delegation on the park’s overall development plan.

The SINO TAN Industrial Park covers an area of 10 square kilometers and is planned with seven major functional zones: agricultural product processing, building materials processing, equipment manufacturing, pharmaceuticals, daily chemicals, textiles and garments, and export processing.

The layout of these zones aligns with the industrial characteristics of Tanzania and reflects the latest achievements of China-Africa production capacity cooperation. Chairman Huang’s presentation highlighted the park’s positive contributions to extending local industrial value chains and creating employment opportunities.

The delegation then proceeded to the park’s conference room to view the master plan of the KWALA Commercial New City and a promotional video introducing the SINO TAN Industrial Park project.

The KWALA Commercial New City is planned with a total investment of approximately USD 3 billion (about 6.9 trillion Tanzanian shillings). As a key supporting project within the new city, the SINO TAN Industrial Park is expected to receive an investment of over USD 300 million.

Currently, Phase I construction of the park is nearly complete, with around 20 enterprises already established within the zone. Upon full completion, the project is expected to create 100,000 direct jobs and over 500,000 indirect employment opportunities, benefiting more than one million Tanzanian citizens.

It will serve as a strong driver for the realization of Tanzania’s industrialization goals outlined in the Vision 2025.

Chairman Huang gave a brief summary of the park’s construction and development plan.

Representatives of enterprises based in the industrial park spoke one after another. Mr. Xu Ping, General Manager of Yongheng Waterproofing Company, introduced the company’s project progress in Tanzania and its future development plans.

He noted that Yongheng Waterproofing is the first waterproof materials manufacturer in East Africa and one of the largest waterproofing enterprises in Africa.

Mr. Xu also called for increased policy and financial support from the government to encourage more Chinese enterprises to “go global” by transferring certain industries and products with excess domestic production capacity to overseas markets. This, he emphasized, would help promote high-quality economic development in China.

Ms. Zhou Weiwei, representing Tuoxin Steel Company, stated that the company has an annual production capacity of approximately 300,000 tons, with a total investment of USD 50 million. It is expected to create around 800 job opportunities.

She also pointed out that the company chose to settle in the SINO TAN Industrial Park primarily because the park can provide a stable and reliable power supply for factory operations—an essential condition that other locations were unable to guarantee.

Mr. Ning Guofang from Hengli Petrochemical stated that the company is the largest lubricating oil manufacturer in East Africa. It officially settled in the SINO TAN Industrial Park and began production in 2023.

He also shared the achievements the company has made through local investments and expressed a positive outlook on strengthening industrial chain cooperation in the future.

During the discussions, members of the Ministry of Commerce delegation highly praised the achievements of Chinese enterprises in conducting economic and trade cooperation in Tanzania, affirming that the Chinese government will continue to support enterprises in their “going global” efforts.

Assistant Minister Tang Wenhong inquired in detail about the development status and investment plans of various companies and acknowledged their accomplishments. He emphasized that the investment by Chinese enterprises in building the SINO TAN Industrial Park is an important component of implementing the Belt and Road Initiative and China-Africa cooperation. It will provide strong support for Tanzania’s economic growth and industrial upgrading.

As Tanzanian Prime Minister Majaliwa stated, the SINO TAN Industrial Park project is a vivid example of how Chinese investment is promoting Tanzania’s economic and social development. He expressed hope that more Chinese enterprises will participate in local industrial construction, jointly advancing the bilateral economic and trade relations to a higher level.

After the meeting, the delegation visited the factory of Snowsea Tanzania Co., Ltd., a refrigeration equipment company located within the park.

Snowsea, a well-known Chinese home appliance enterprise, has invested in establishing a refrigerator and freezer production line locally, achieving partial localization of its products.

The delegation toured the assembly workshop and the warehousing and logistics area, engaging in in-depth discussions with company leaders on production management and market development.

The company reported that the factory is currently operating smoothly and that its products are actively integrating into the local market.

Both Ministry of Commerce representatives and enterprise delegates expressed their appreciation for Snowsea’s investment and development efforts in Tanzania and hoped to attract more high value-added projects in the future.

At the conclusion of the inspection activities, all participants gathered for a group photo in front of the One-Stop Service Center of the SINO TAN Industrial Park.

Everyone unanimously expressed that this visit enhanced mutual understanding between China and Tanzania and laid a solid foundation for strengthening future cooperation.

The construction of the SINO TAN Industrial Park is progressing steadily, playing an active role in promoting Tanzania’s industrialization and employment, while also providing new opportunities for Chinese enterprises to expand into the African market.

With the joint efforts of both countries, it is believed that China-Tanzania economic and trade cooperation will yield even more fruitful results.