China-funded university library complex transferred to Tanzania – Xinhua

Tanzanian President John Magufuli (5th L) and Chinese Ambassador to Tanzania Wang Ke (6th L) attend the ceremony of handover of a library assisted by China in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, the November 27, 2018. China on Tuesday made a state-of-the-art library complex located in the University of Dar es Salaam in Tanzania to support the country's education sector. (Xinhua)

DAR ES SALAAM, Nov. 27 (Xinhua) – China on Tuesday handed Tanzania a state-of-the-art library complex to support the country's education sector.

Tanzanian President John Magufuli thanked China for the $ 41 million US project at the University of Dar es Salaam during the handover ceremony.

"A big thank you to China and the Chinese people," said the president shortly before the Chinese ambassador to Tanzania, Wang Ke, handed him the new library.

President Magufuli said that the friendship between China and Tanzania began many years ago with the construction of the authority of the Tanzania-Zambia (TAZARA) railways in the 1970s and the Urafiki textile factories.

Magufuli urged Tanzanians to learn Chinese, explaining that with the increasing investments of Chinese companies in the country and the expected increase in the number of Chinese tourists in the country, the future looked promising.

Wang Ke, Chinese ambassador to Tanzania, said the library would help accelerate the reforms and transformations initiated by President Magufuli.

"In addition to financing the construction of the library, the Chinese government has also provided the library with free information and communication technologies, maintenance systems and furniture," said Wang.

The Chinese envoy said the 54 years of diplomatic relations between the two countries were special, adding, "We have every reason to maintain and strengthen these relations."

Joyce Ndalichako, Tanzanian Minister of Education, Science, Technology and Vocational Training, said the library would allow university students from across the country to broaden their knowledge and skills for the good -being of the country.

The library complex covers an area of ​​4.7 hectares with an area of ​​20, 000 square meters. It includes a library, a Confucius Institute and a Sino-Tanzanian Cultural Exchange Park. With a storage capacity of 800,000 books, the library can accommodate 2,100 people at the same time.