Farrell Gregory
The great power competition for tomorrow’s critical mineral supplies will play out in African ports and mines. Despite falling behind China in foreign investment, America has the opportunity to catch up and secure access to the resources that power next-generation military and commercial technologies. But to compete, we must understand China’s role as an alternative lender and developmental partner. Out of all African countries, Tanzania best exemplifies the potential of Chinese engagement as well as the danger that America and its allies could be shut out of an essential supply chain for critical minerals.
China and Tanzania have long enjoyed a close relationship since establishing relations in 1964. In 1970, the two countries began work on the TAZARA rail line. Funded largely by grants from the PRC, the expansive project stretched for over 1,000 miles to connect landlocked Zambia to coastal Tanzania.
The TAZARA railway also became an early test for Beijing’s now-familiar BRI formula. Using Chinese materials, overseen by Chinese firms, and in total employing over 50,000 Chinese workers, the railway offered an opportunity for the PRC to expand its construction industry and diplomatic footprint abroad. Upon its completion in 1975, the rail stood both as an example of successful cooperation between China and other developing countries and as a cornerstone of the burgeoning Sino-Tanzanian relationship. It also created a potential route for natural resource extraction. By linking northern Zambia with Dar es Salaam, Tanzania’s largest city and main port, the TAZARA line could serve to transport copper, cobalt, and other critical minerals from the African interior. Today, the railway is in a state of disrepair, as Tanzania has long sought aid to modernize the line from China. But recently the PRC committed to spending up to $1 billion to modernize the rail line – an investment which could transform TAZARA into the lynchpin of Beijing’s African mineral supply chain.
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