Beijing to revive Tazara railway as EU, US seek to challenge China’s dominance in key African trade corridor

China is reportedly on track to control the ailing African Tazara railway connecting Tanzania and Zambia, originally funded by Mao Zedong’s government in the 1970s, despite geopolitical needling over control of mineral trade routes.

Amid growing geopolitical tensions over the control of trading routes for critical minerals in Africa, China has chosen the China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation (CCECC) to negotiate a concession to operate the Tanzania-Zambia Railway line.

It is expected to give a much-needed lifeline to the almost 50-year-old railway, also known as Tazara, which was originally funded by Mao Zedong’s government as a foreign aid project. Once upgraded, it will provide a key transport route for critical minerals used in the production of batteries for electric vehicles.

Tazara’s upgrade comes at a time when the European Union and the United States have announced they will fund the building of a railway from the Zambian copper belt to an existing line to the Angolan port of Lobito. They will also develop the Lobito transport corridor, which will connect inland southern DRC and northwest Zambia to regional and global trade markets via the Angolan port city.

Tazara’s upgrade also comes as reports have emerged that Washington is considering financing a transport route, which could help secure access to critical minerals in bid to rival China that controls most processing and refining of African resources vital for world’s transition to green energy. Washington is studying a US$250 million financing package to build a key transport corridor in southern Africa aimed at securing access to critical minerals like copper and cobalt used in electronics and batteries for electric vehicles.