China, Tanzania agree to build comprehensive cooperative partnership

China and Tanzania agreed on Sunday to build a comprehensive cooperative partnership characterized by mutual benefit and win-win results.The agreement was reached at a meeting between visiting Chinese President Xi Jinping and his Tanzanian counterpart Jakaya Mrisho Kikwete, according to (Xinhua) news agency.Calling the East African country an old friend and a good friend of China, Xi said the two countries have maintained an all-weather friendship and China cherishes the time-tested bond with Tanzania.China, he added, is ready to work with Tanzania to foster a comprehensive cooperative partnership characterized by mutual benefit and win-win results and lift bilateral relations to a higher level.Noting that both countries face the task of national development, Xi said the two sides should trust, support and help each other and pursue common development.They should maintain contacts and exchanges, continue to support each other on core interests and major concerns, and strengthen coordination and cooperation on global and regional issues, added the Chinese president.China, he said, is willing to continue to support Tanzania’s socioeconomic development and encourage Chinese enterprises to invest in Tanzania.The two countries need to boost bilateral people-to-people exchanges and carry on their traditional friendship, said the Chinese president, adding that China will set up a Chinese culture center in Tanzania.Commenting on Africa’s overall situation, Xi said Africa is a continent full of hope and has a bright future despite the many difficulties and challenges it faces now.For his part, Kikwete thanked China for its long-term support and assistance for his country, pledging that his country will continue to firmly back China on major issues concerning national sovereignty and territorial integrity.Tanzania, he said, commits itself to economic development and hopes to strengthen cooperation with China both bilaterally and under the framework of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation in such areas as agriculture, energy, infrastructure, poverty alleviation and human resources.After the talks, the two leaders witnessed the signing of several cooperation deals.The meeting came hours after Xi arrived here for a state visit to Tanzania, the second leg of his maiden foreign trip as president following Russia.China has become Tanzania’s largest trading partner and second largest source of investment. Bilateral trade reached 2.47 billion US dollars last year, up 15.2% year on year.