China's Aid To Tan-Zam Railway: Its Consideration, Building Progress And Impacts

So far,the Tan-Zam Railway is China's biggest aid project in Africa.For this hard project,the government of People's Republic of China not only sent out her engineers and technicians,did survey and design work,but also help Tanzania and Zambia to build it.From the time Aug.1965 when the investigation work started to the time Jul.1976 when the Tan-Zam Railway finished and hand out to the governments of Tanzania and Zambia,It takes about ten years during which it is called"the Cultural Revolution"in China.For building this time-consuming,expensive and tough project, the government of China tried all her have to give hand.As it is the time that"Cold War"fighting fiercely between USA and USSR, Liberation Movement fought eagerly in Africa,and the Cultural Revolution on its peek in China in 1960s and 1970s,China's aid to the Tan-Zam Railway provoked many questions at that moment.Based on the principle that all the materials such as archival documents,dictations,films and all kind of books and articles would be judged and used,this thesis examines many topics.For example,why the government of China was willing to build the Tan-Zam Railway?Does the Cultural Revolution have some effects on China's aid policy?What's the attitude of USA and USSR towards China's aid?.etc.Of course,this dissertation discusses mainly the questions that have been showed in its title.Besides the preface and the epilogue,there are five chapters in this thesis.In preface,the author points out three questions.They are the reasons that the dissertation was written,the oversea and domestic studies on TANZARA,and the right place from which the archives come.Chapter One elaborates the building history of Tan-Zam Railway in the early ages. As early as the first few years in 1900s,German and British colonist had planned to build a railway that connected both southern and northern Africa.However,they had to stop the plan for all kinds of reasons.After Tanzania's Independence in 1961 and Zambia's independence in 1964,the Presidents of this two countries decided to build up the railway themselves.Since this two new-born countries had lots of thing to do and was lack of money,they had asked the foreign countries especially the western countries for help.They got nothing except disappointment.In contrast,the People Republic of China who was also a poor country and a country very special in the way dealing with international affairs and aid policy at that time promised them to help with building the Tan-Zam Railway.In the coming chapter,the writer elaborates not only the consideration of the government in offering to build the railway but also the process that discussed to build the railway.The writer pointed out that it was Chairman Mao,President Liu and Prim Zhou played a very important role in deciding to build the railway.They view it necessary to build the railway due to its effects on both economic and political aspects. Compared with President Nyerere,President Kaunda was unwilling to accept China's warm help due to all kinds of reasons.However,in a short time,when Kaunda found he would never be able to build the railway if he refused China's help,he changed his attitude at last.The agreement which caused many diplomatic storms of building the Tan-Zam Railway was signed by the delegates of the three countries in 1967.Chapter Three probes into the investigation,survey and design,and the preparing work of Tan-Zam Railway.Between the time Aug.1965 and Dec.1967,there were two investigation teams sent by the Chinese government got to Tanzania and Zambia, and handed out the"Investigation Report of the Tan-Zam Railway"separately after the investigation work was finished.According to the report,there were no technical problems to build the railway.Following the investigation,came survey and design work which first began in Apr.1968 and then in Oct.1968.The survey and design teams were made up of 680 Chinese engineers and technicians who had the jobs done beforehand and wrote out"Survey and Design Report of the Tan-Zam Railway"to both Tanzania and Zambia.Preparing work had been done Railway by Chinese government in the year 1969,such as selecting Chinese engineers and technicians, producing all kinds of materials and starting the temporary work.Despite of interference or even destruction by many countries,all the necessary preparing work had been over in the first half year in 1970.Chapter Four mainly elaborates the building process,primary operation,and the handover of the Tan-Zam Railway.Though it was propagandized publicly in Oct.1970, Tan-Zam Railway which was built by divided into five parts had already been constructed.Considering its long time and complex which includes the work of roadbed,bridges,water and electricity and so on,this chapter discusses only part of the topics,such as the hard work,the friendship among the workers,the help of the officers and the hostilities of the enemies.Chapter Five elaborates the influence of the the Tan-Zam Railway.There are five topics as followed:the railway's(1)current run condition and its reasons,(2)the economic and social contribution,(3)effects on the relationship among three countries,(4)promotion to China's technology and equipments,etc.At the end of the thesis,the author emphasized and pointed out that one should fully consider the background of the Tan-Zam Railway when judge it and take an honest attitude towards it.There are many valuable experience and lessons that can be learned form the aid to Tan-Zam Railway.