President Samia Suluhu hosted a high-level delegation of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), led by Liu Haixing, Minister of the International Department of the CPC Central Committee (IDCPC), at State House on Wednesday, May 20, 2026.
The visit follows an earlier engagement in March 2026, when the Secretary General of Tanzania’s ruling party, Asha Rose Migiro, visited Beijing. During that visit, she met Liu Haixing and discussed, among other issues, economic relations between the two countries, as well as maintaining ideological ties between the two sister parties through exchanges and mutual learning.
Liu Haixing arrived from engagements in Egypt, where he attended the inauguration of the Xi Jinping Diplomatic Thought Studies Unit at the Tahrir Center for Studies.
READ: China-Tanzania Cooperation Thrives Amid A Growing Geopolitical Rivalry
In its press statement, the ruling party noted that President Samia committed that Tanzania will continue to strengthen cooperation with China in areas aligned with the National Development Vision 2050. This includes investment, energy, food security, good governance, peace and security, as well as the exchange of experience through the Mwalimu Julius Nyerere Leadership School.
“Dr. Samia commended China for continuing to cooperate with Tanzania in building institutional capacity and sharing development experience, through institutions that enable leaders and experts to learn the philosophy, systems, and development experience of China,” the party statement reads.
On his part, Liu Haixing appreciated China-Tanzania relations in trade, noting that China has remained Tanzania’s largest trading and investment partner.
“He said that Tanzania holds a key position in East and Central African trade through the Port of Dar es Salaam, and that China will continue to cooperate with Tanzania in strengthening peace, security, stability, and the development of its citizens,” the party statement reads.
While China generally maintains a hands-off approach in foreign leadership affairs of many countries, in Tanzania it has adopted a unique approach through ideological relations and learning exchanges between the CCP and Tanzania’s ruling party, CCM.
Tanzania’s CCM has recognized this aspect, with the party chairperson noting that some of the party’s transformation has been influenced by lessons drawn from the CCP.
Following international pressure after the October 2025election killings, China remains one of the Tanzanian ruling party’s key allies and is expected to provide unconditional diplomatic cover amid continued international and local scrutiny.
Liu Haixing has also inaugurated the Research Centre for Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics at the Mwalimu Julius Nyerere Leadership School in Kibaha.
