As China and Tanzania mark decades of diplomatic and development cooperation, young people are being positioned at the heart of the next chapter of the partnership, with emphasis shifting towards skills, innovation, technology transfer and people-to-people exchanges.
Chinese Ambassador to Tanzania Chen Mingjian said youth will play a decisive role in shaping the future of relations between the two countries, calling for greater investment in their skills, education and opportunities.
She made the remarks during the China-Tanzania Dialogue on Youth Development and Exchange held in Dar es Salaam on Wednesday, bringing together nearly 80 representatives from the two governments, universities, infrastructure companies, media organisations and students.
The dialogue comes as 2026 marks the 70th anniversary of China-Africa diplomatic relations and the China-Africa Year of People-to-People Exchanges.
Ambassador Chen said the relationship between China and Tanzania had been built through practical cooperation that has touched the lives of ordinary people.
“Over the past seven decades, China and Tanzania have written a remarkable chapter of solidarity and cooperation. Our friendship has been tested by time and proven by action. From the TAZARA Railway to the Nyerere Bridge, our cooperation has always put people at the centre,” she said.
She urged young people to become “dream-chasers” who link their personal ambitions to national development, bridges of mutual understanding through cultural exchange, and a “vital force” in areas such as vocational training, infrastructure, the digital economy and green development.
“Friendship between states lies in people-to-people exchanges, and people-to-people exchanges hinge on youth,” Ambassador Chen said, announcing plans by the Chinese Embassy and its partners to expand scholarships and youth exchange programmes in the coming year.
Representing the Government, Dr Fredrick Salukele, Director of Technical and Vocational Education and Training in the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology, said the long-standing friendship should now place greater emphasis on human capital.
He said cooperation needed to move beyond infrastructure and trade to focus more strongly on youth, knowledge, skills and innovation.
Dr Salukele said Tanzania was implementing education reforms aimed at strengthening competency development, digital skills and links between training institutions and industry.
“The world of work is changing rapidly because of Artificial Intelligence, automation and new technologies. Our education and training systems must be dynamic,” he said.
He called for deeper cooperation in higher education, technical and vocational education, internships, apprenticeships and joint research.
He also urged Chinese companies operating in Tanzania to incorporate structured skills and knowledge transfer into their investments through mentorship, apprenticeship programmes, research, innovation, technology transfer and professional certification.
“The goal is to create more learning opportunities for Tanzanian youth and to extend people-to-people exchange to ‘skills-to-skills’ exchange,” he said.
Dr Salukele said the strongest bridge between Tanzania and China would not only be made of steel and concrete, but also of knowledge, skills, friendships and shared aspirations.
Prof Baraka J. Maiseli, Principal of the College of Information and Communication Technologies at the University of Dar es Salaam, highlighted the role of universities in strengthening the next phase of cooperation.
Prof Maiseli, who studied in China under a Chinese Government Scholarship between 2012 and 2015, said the experience equipped him with professional knowledge, research networks and international exposure that later enabled him to contribute to Tanzania's development.
He cited the Huawei ICT Academy at UDSM as one example of cooperation producing practical skills. Through the academy, students receive training in areas including cloud computing, artificial intelligence, 5G and cybersecurity.
He said a CoICT student had recently won first place in Tanzania and Africa in the Huawei ICT Competition, demonstrating the potential of technology-focused training.
Prof Maiseli also pointed to growing academic mobility between the two countries, noting that more than 60,000 Tanzanians have studied in China over the years, while nearly 100 Chinese students came to UDSM in 2025 to study Kiswahili and Tanzanian culture.
“This two-way flow builds understanding and long-term friendship,” he said.
He proposed a Triple-Helix Model bringing together government, universities and industry.
“We need industry to provide technology, real-world problems and jobs. We need universities to provide research, talent and innovation. And we need government to take prototypes to market and create the enabling environment,” he said.
Prof Maiseli urged young people from both countries to focus on solving practical problems rather than limiting themselves to academic work.
“Chinese and Tanzanian youth must sit together and solve practical problems. Don’t just write papers. Build solutions. Start companies. Lead the next 60 years of Tanzania-China friendship,” he said.
Mr Jiang Yuntao, Chairman of CRJE (East Africa) Ltd and Chairman of the Chinese Enterprises Association in Tanzania, said Chinese companies had a responsibility to contribute to the development of Tanzanian human capital alongside physical infrastructure.
He said CRJE had spent decades supporting local skills development through partnerships with universities, vocational institutions and professionals.
“From the construction of the TAZARA Railway to the Nyerere Bridge and the Dodoma High Court, our commitment has remained the same: to build not only infrastructure, but also people,” Mr Jiang said.
He cited on-the-job training, master-apprentice mentorship, skills competitions and university-enterprise partnerships as some of the mechanisms being used to develop local talent.
Mr Jiang said the newly launched “Chinese Masters, Tanzanian Heritage” programme would provide another platform for young Tanzanians and Chinese professionals to exchange knowledge and practical experience.
“When a Chinese engineer mentors a Tanzanian youth, and when a Tanzanian student brings local knowledge to a Chinese project, that is how we build a lasting friendship,” he said.
He reaffirmed the company's ambition to see more Tanzanian engineers, technicians and managers taking leadership roles in major projects in the country.
The impact of such programmes was illustrated by Eng Titus Lukuwi, a Tanzanian engineer at CRJE who joined the company as a frontline employee in 2022.
Through mentorship and systematic training in 2023 and 2025, he developed skills in technical communication, project delivery and quality standards before becoming part of the company's core technical team.
“When I was given my first assignment I was afraid to say I don’t know. But CRJE gave me a welcoming environment. Senior engineers took time to train us on site,” he said.
“Today I am part of a team delivering quality infrastructure for Tanzania. Our hope is that in a few years Tanzanian engineers will have the capacity to deliver for our company and our country.”
For students, the dialogue offered a platform to engage directly with policymakers, diplomats, academics and industry leaders about their future careers.
Brian Samuel, a third-year CoICT student at UDSM, said students were looking for opportunities that could connect classroom learning with practical experience.
“We don’t just want certificates. We want to build real projects, learn from engineers on site, and get certified in skills that companies actually need,” he said.
He said students were ready to contribute to the next phase of Tanzania-China cooperation by using technology to address challenges in sectors such as health, agriculture and infrastructure.
“This Dialogue has shown us that the door is open. Now it is up to us to walk through it,” he said.
A key outcome of the dialogue was the launch of the report “70 Years of China-Africa Diplomatic Relations: CRJE’s Practice in China-Tanzania Youth Skills Exchange Cooperation.”
The report examines skills cooperation linked to major projects, including the TAZARA Railway, Nyerere Bridge, Dodoma High Court and Nyerere Foundation Square.
It identifies four key approaches to talent development: on-the-job training, master-apprentice mentorship, skills competitions and university-enterprise collaboration.
The dialogue also launched the “Chinese Masters, Tanzanian Heritage” Youth Skills Inheritance Programme, designed to formalise and expand mentorship and practical skills transfer for young Tanzanians, particularly in engineering and construction.
During a roundtable session, academics, company representatives, young engineers and human resources professionals discussed ways to align vocational education with industry requirements, expand internships and create a regular platform for youth dialogue.
The dialogue was jointly hosted by Xufang International Media of China International Communications Group (CICG), CRJE and the University of Dar es Salaam.
For Tanzania and China, the message from the dialogue was clear: the next generation of cooperation will be measured not only by the infrastructure built, but increasingly by the skills, businesses, innovations and opportunities created for young people.
