(Ecofin Agency) - • Tanzania and China signed two aid agreements totaling $69.3 million on May 17, 2025.
• $41.6 million is allocated to expand the Jakaya Kikwete Cardiac Institute into a regional center of excellence.
• $27.7 million will support broader economic and technical cooperation between the two countries.

Tanzania and China have signed two aid agreements amounting to $69.3 million to reinforce cooperation in healthcare and technical development. The agreements were signed on Saturday, May 17, 2025, and reflect the strategic partnership between the two countries across sectors including health, ICT, and education.

The first agreement allocates $27.7 million to support joint economic and technical cooperation. The second provides $41.6 million to fund the expansion of the Jakaya Kikwete Cardiac Institute (JKCI) in Mloganzila. This initiative aims to transform the JKCI into a center of excellence for heart disease treatment, particularly pediatric cardiology, serving patients from Tanzania and neighboring countries in East and Central Africa.

“These aids aim to allow implementation of projects jointly selected and approved by the governments of Tanzania and China. The second agreement targets the building of an excellent center for the treatment of pediatric heart diseases,” said Dr. Mwigulu Nchemba, Tanzania’s Minister of Finance.

An official statement noted that the JKCI expansion is expected to bring multiple benefits, including improved access to quality healthcare, job creation, stimulation of local commerce, advancement of health research and education, and enhancement of healthcare infrastructure.

Tanzania’s health sector continues to face persistent challenges, including underfunding, workforce shortages, and unequal access—especially in rural regions.

These agreements are part of a broader, long-standing relationship between Tanzania and China, characterized by decades of development cooperation. Past Chinese-backed projects in Tanzania include the TAZARA railway linking Tanzania to Zambia and the cardiac unit at Muhimbili Hospital.

Trade between the two nations reached $4.5 billion in 2023, according to the International Trade Centre (ITC). The aid agreements follow a commitment by Chinese President Xi Jinping during a meeting with Tanzanian President Dr. Samia Suluhu Hassan at the 2024 Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) in Beijing.