Xinhua News Agency reporters used their cameras to record another historic moment - President Xi Jinping, Tanzanian President Hassan and Zambian President Hichilema, who came to China to attend the Beijing Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation, jointly witnessed the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding on the Tanzania-Zambia Railway Activation Project. After the signing, the scene was filled with warm applause for a long time.

The Tanzania-Zambia Railway is a monument to China-Africa friendship. More than half a century ago, the older generation of Chinese and African leaders jointly made the historic decision to build the Tanzania-Zambia Railway. More than 50,000 Chinese engineers and technicians traveled to Africa, overcame numerous difficulties and dangers on the vast African grasslands, and built the Tanzania-Zambia Railway together with African friends. More than 60 Chinese personnel paid their precious lives for this.

In March 2013, Xi Jinping visited Africa for the first time after taking office as President. In Tanzania, President Xi Jinping made a special trip to the cemetery of Chinese experts who assisted Tanzania to pay tribute to the martyrs who sacrificed their precious lives for the cause of China-Africa friendship.

During that visit, President Xi Jinping pointed out that we must carry forward the spirit of the Tanzania-Zambia Railway, carefully cherish and protect the precious treasure of the traditional China-Africa friendship, carry forward the past, keep pace with the times, and make the towering tree of China-Africa friendship and cooperation more prosperous and bear more abundant fruits.

The Tanzania-Zambia Railway has set a precedent for China-Africa cooperation in building major infrastructure. In nearly half a century, it has transported more than 30 million tons of cargo and more than 40 million passengers, becoming an "artery" to ensure the economic operation of Tanzania, Zambia and surrounding areas.

      In the new era, under the joint leadership of President Xi Jinping and African leaders, China and Africa are working together on the journey of modernization. Towards a better tomorrow of building a high-level China-Africa community with a shared future, Chinese and African leaders gathered in Beijing again, and this "friendship road" that has experienced vicissitudes has embarked on a "youth journey" of high-spirited departure.

"When China itself was still very poor, we tightened our belts to help our African brothers build the Tanzania-Zambia Railway. Now that we have developed, we must, in line with the principles of sincerity, friendship and good faith, help our African friends achieve common development and build a China-Africa community with a shared future in the new era." These words, spoken by President Xi Jinping during his talks with President Hassan in 2022, are a tribute to history and a firm declaration for the future.

      On the morning of the 4th, before and after the three heads of state attended the signing ceremony of relevant documents, President Xi Jinping met with President Hassan and President Hichilema respectively. During the meeting, the three leaders all talked about the "Tanzania-Zambia Railway" with deep affection, demonstrating the sincere willingness of all parties to inherit the traditional friendship between China and Africa and inject new impetus into the development of bilateral relations and China-Africa relations.

      President Xi Jinping pointed out that China is willing to take this summit as an opportunity to promote new progress in the activation of the Tanzania-Zambia Railway and cooperate to improve the East African rail-sea transport network.

      "Tanzania highly appreciates the Belt and Road Initiative proposed by President Xi Jinping, and is very pleased to witness the activation of the Tanzania-Zambia Railway during this visit." "I am very pleased to witness the reactivation of the Tanzania-Zambia Railway with President Xi Jinping just now, continuing the friendship forged by the older generation of leaders of the two countries and building a new channel for connectivity between Africa and China." President Hassan and President Hichilema expressed their eager expectation to deepen cooperation with China.

      Although China and Africa are separated by oceans, their hearts are connected. As President Xi Jinping said during his visit to Africa in 2013: "What connects us is not only our profound traditional friendship and close ties of interests, but also our respective dreams."

      This dream carries the pursuit of common modernization and conveys the hope of building a high-level China-Africa community with a shared future. After years of baptism, the Tanzania-Zambia Railway, which connects friendship and dreams, will be rejuvenated in the new era.