The Practical Significance of Reactivating TAZARA
激活坦赞铁路的重要现实意义
Chinese Ambassador to Zambia, H.E. Mr. Du Xiaohui
驻赞比亚大使杜晓晖
18 August 2022
2022年8月18日
On August 10, H.E President Hakainde Hichilema attended the commissioning ceremony of the TAZARA Memorial Park. The TAZARA is the largest foreign aid project since the founding of the People’s Republic of China. During the process of assisting the construction of TAZARA and technical cooperation, about 70 Chinese-aided construction experts and engineering technicians sacrificed their lives. In order to commemorate the heroes and martyrs of the TAZARA and other China-Zambia cooperation projects, the Chinese and Zambian governments decided to jointly build the TAZARA Memorial Park. The Memorial Park is located in Chongwe District, Lusaka Province. It consists of a memorial square, a monument, a memorial hall, and a martyr’s cemetery. A total of 36 Chinese martyrs who died in Zambia were buried.
8月10日，希奇莱马总统出席坦赞铁路纪念园开园典礼。坦赞铁路是新中国成立以来规模最大的援外成套项目。在援助建设坦赞铁路及技术合作过程中，约70位中国援建专家和工程技术人员献出了宝贵生命。为纪念援建坦赞铁路和其他中赞合作项目中牺牲的英雄烈士，中赞两国政府决定共建坦赞铁路纪念园。纪念园位于赞比亚卢萨卡省琼谷韦地区，由纪念广场、纪念碑、纪念馆、烈士墓区等组成，共安葬36位援赞牺牲中国烈士。
The history of the construction and development of TAZARA embodies four spirits:
坦赞铁路建设发展史体现了四种精神：
First, the spirit of equality. At the request of Zambia and Tanzania, the Chinese government and people selflessly helped build TAZARA. The ownership of the railway belongs to Zambia and Tanzania. Today, China is making every effort to prepare for the reactivation of the railway upon Zambian and Tanzanian request again. Last week, both Zambia and Tanzania reaffirmed ‘One China’ Principle, which is the most important political asset left to us by Chairman Mao Zedong, President Dr. Kenneth Kaunda and President Dr. Julius Nyerere. From the very beginning, the cooperation between China, Zambia and Tanzania has always been based on mutual respect and equality.
一是平等精神。应坦赞两国所请，中国政府和人民无私援建坦赞铁路。这条铁路的所有权属于坦赞两国，今天再次应赞方所请，中方全力推进筹备激活铁路。赞坦两国上周均又重申一个中国原则，这是毛泽东、肯尼思·卡翁达、朱利叶斯·尼雷尔留给我们最重要的政治资产。自始至终，中赞坦三国的合作都建立在相互尊重、平等相待基础上。
Second, the spirit of perseverance. Unafraid of dangers or sacrifice, builders from China and Zambia opened up the Railway of Uhuru and Friendship. In the face of foreseeable and unforeseen risks and difficulties, as long as the “spirit of perseverance” exists, no country, no force and no person can stop the people’s friendship of two countries from generation to generation.
二是拼搏精神。中赞两国建设者不畏艰险，敢于牺牲，开辟了“友谊之路”、“自由之路”。面对可预见和不可预见的风险困难，只要“拼搏精神”不丢，任何国家、力量、个人均无法阻挡中赞两国人民世世代代友好下去。
Third, the spirit of internationalism. Though facing its own hardship at the time, China made the firm decision to help build TAZARA. Today, globalization is facing headwinds, and the rights and interests of developing countries need to be protected urgently. China is willing to work with Zambia and Tanzania to promote South-South cooperation and safeguard international fairness and justice.
三是国际主义精神。中国在自身困难时毅然决定援建坦赞铁路。今天，全球化发展遭遇逆风，发展中国家的权益亟需维护，中国愿同赞、坦共同推动南南合作，维护国际公平正义。
Fourth, the spirit of mutual benefit and common development. TAZARA has always embodied the characteristics of the spirit of China-Africa friendship and cooperation. By jointly building the family of the Belt and Road cooperation and implementing the Global Development Initiative, China and Zambia, based on their own development strategies, have shared development opportunities and achieved common development.
四是互利共赢、共同发展精神。坦赞铁路自始至终体现的就是这种汇聚成中非友好合作精神的特质。共建“一带一路”合作大家庭、携手落实全球发展倡议等，中赞两国立足各自发展战略，共享发展机遇，实现共同发展。
The best way to commemorate the martyrs of TAZARA is to reactivate it as a railway for Development, Prosperity and Green, which holds very important practical significance:
纪念坦赞铁路烈士最好的方式就是激活使之成为“发展之路”“繁荣之路”“绿色之路”。这具有十分重要的现实意义：
One is to support the government’s development vision. TAZARA is an economical, convenient, safe and environment-friendly mode of transportation. Once reactivated, it can promote the development of Zambia copper mining industry and help solve the transportation problems after the substantial increase in copper production.
一是支持政府发展愿景。坦赞铁路是经济便捷、安全环保的运输方式，激活之后可推动赞铜矿业发展，助赞解决铜产量大幅增长后的运输问题。
The second is to promote practical cooperation between China and Zambia. China and Zambia share complementary economic advantages, and the reactivated TAZARA will facilitate the export of more high-quality Zambian products to China, and provide support for deepening China-Zambia cooperation in agriculture, manufacturing, tourism and other fields.
二是促进中赞务实合作。中赞两国经济优势互补，激活后的坦赞铁路将为更多优质赞产品输华提供便利，为深化中赞农业、制造业、旅游业等领域合作提供保障。
The third is to benefit more local people. TAZARA has driven the development of regional product processing, retail and service industries. Once reactivated, it will promote transnational and trans-regional cooperation and benefit the local people.
三是惠及更多当地人民。坦赞铁路会带动区域产品加工、园艺、零售、房地产、服务业发展，激活后将推动跨国、跨区域合作，造福当地百姓。
The fourth is to deepen the “Belt and Road” cooperation. TAZARA is an important part of the Belt and Road Initiative. Once reactivated, it will enhance the development for its nearby areas, which can eventually form special economic zones and contribute to the transportation connectivity and regional integrated development.
四是深化“一带一路”合作。坦赞铁路可谓老版“一带一路”，坦赞铁路由路变区成带，将促进交通互联互通和区域一体化发展。
Each generation has its own mission. The mission of our generation is to reactivate TAZARA and make it a new highlight and brand for high-quality development of the Belt and Road and China-Africa friendship.
一代人有一代人的使命，我们这代人的任务就是使坦赞铁路焕发新生机，成为共建“一带一路”高质量发展和中非友谊的新亮点和新名片！