DAR ES SALAAM — Tanzanian Minister for Foreign Affairs and East African Cooperation, Augustine Mahiga, launched the Center for Chinese Studies on May 15.

Inaugurating the Center at the University of Dar es Salaam, Mahiga said: “The Center for Chinese Studies will be a case study for Tanzanians to learn how China advanced from a poor country to an economic powerhouse.”

Apart from learning the Chinese experience, the Center for Chinese Studies will help reinforce the over 50 years of friendly relations between the two countries, said Mahiga.

Wang Ke, the Chinese Ambassador to Tanzania, said the newly opened Center for Chinese Studies will make unique and important contributions by introducing to Tanzanians in a comprehensive and objective way.

“To better understand China, you need to be objective and independent in thinking. Only in this way you can present a real China to the people in Tanzania and other African countries,” said Wang.

She added that the Center will also enable Tanzanians to conduct in-depth research on the relevance of China’s development experience to the development of Tanzania and Africa in general.

“Development is the biggest challenge facing the world, and China’s experience in development may be helpful to African countries,” said the Chinese envoy.

She said the Center for Chinese Studies will offer policy advice for China-Tanzania and China-Africa cooperation in an active way.

The Center for Chinese Studies in Tanzania is the third research institute in Africa specialized on Chinese studies.

The other two are the Center for Chinese Studies at Stellenbosch University in South Africa and the Center for Chinese Studies in Nigeria.