China has reached a deal with two African countries on a huge railway project with tracks stretching 1,860km.
Tanzania and Zambia have backed the plan to restore railway tracks built between 1970 and 1975.
The agreement was reached during the China-Africa Cooperation Forum, where Chinese President Xi Jinping met with Tanzanian Samia Suluhu Hassan and Zambian President Hakainde Hichilema.
The Tanzania-Zambia Railway was built in the 1970s with a loan from China.
It is used to transport copper and cobalt mines in Zambia to the Tanzanian coast through South Africa.
The project involved building several tunnels and bridges, involving tens of thousands of construction workers.
The World Bank approved £ 208 million in funding to boost railway links between Tanzania and Zambia, and China proposed $1 billion (£ 770 million) for the reconstruction.
Chinese President Xi said: “China is willing to take this summit as an opportunity to make new progress in the revitalisation of the Tanzania-Zambia railway, cooperate to improve the rail-sea intermodal transport network in East Africa, and build Tanzania into a demonstration zone for deepening high-quality China-Africa Belt and Road cooperation.”
In recent months, Xi has also discussed 30 other infrastructure projects designed to help connect other African countries and boost trade links.
This all comes as part of China’s well-documented “Belt and Road” initiative, investing in infrastructure projects around the globe to boost China’s economy.
