Chinese President Xi Jinping presents the Medal of Friendship to Salim Ahmed Salim, which was received by his daughter Maryam Salim on September 29 (XINHUA)

Maryam Salim, daughter of a recipient of China's Medal of Friendship, was excited when she saw her father in a video clip at the exhibition on the achievements of the People's Republic of China (PRC) in the past seven decades in Beijing on September 30.

The video displayed a scene at the 26th session of the UN General Assembly in 1971 when China resumed its lawful seat in the UN. Just after the counting of votes ended, a Tanzanian representative stood up and waved hands to celebrate. He was Salim Ahmed Salim, father of Maryam, former Tanzanian Prime Minister and President of the Tanzanian-China Friendship Promotion Association. Salim is a well-known African diplomat and has long served as Secretary General of the Organization of African Unity (the predecessor of the African Union). He has made outstanding contributions to consolidating and promoting China-Tanzania and China-Africa friendly cooperation, and is "an old friend" and "a good friend" of the Chinese people.

Medal of Friendship (XINHUA)

Rare honor

The presentation ceremony for national medals and honorary titles was held at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on September 29. Chinese President Xi Jinping conferred top honors upon heroes and role models who received the Medal of the Republic and honorary titles, and upon foreign friends, who received the Medal of Friendship.

During the ceremony, six foreign dignitaries and international friends, including Salim, received the Medal of Friendship. The other five are Raul Castro, First Secretary of Cuba's Communist Party; Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn of Thailand; Galina Kulikova, First Deputy Chairperson of the Russia-China Friendship Association; Jean-Pierre Raffarin, former French Prime Minister; and Isabel Crook, emeritus professor for life at Beijing Foreign Studies University.

"We have sincere gratitude to the recipients of the Friendship Medal for their contribution to China's development," Xi said at the ceremony, adding that the Chinese people are willing to work with people of all countries to build a community with a shared future for mankind and make the planet a better place.

The Medal of Friendship of the People's Republic of China is the highest honor granted to foreigners. It is awarded to foreigners who have made outstanding contributions to China's socialist modernization drive, the promotion of Sino-foreign exchanges and cooperation, and the maintenance of world peace. This is the third time China has granted the Medal of Friendship award. Prior to this, China only awarded the Medal of Friendship to two people: Russian President Vladimir Putin and Kazakhstan's First President Nursultan Nazarbayev.

"It is truly a great honor for me. Really, I did not expect it," said Salim in a written interview with Xinhua News Agency after being awarded this honor.

Salim Ahmed Salim (XINHUA)

Long association

On October 25, 1971, The UN General Assembly Resolution 2758 was voted on and adopted by an overwhelming majority of 76 votes in favor, 35 against and 17 abstentions. This resolution recognized the representatives of the PRC as "the only legitimate representative of China to the UN."

When the final tally confirmed that China had been admitted, Salim was overjoyed. "We were, obviously, very happy that after countless negotiations and communications, China finally returned to the UN," Salim said when receiving an interview with The Paper, a Shanghai-based news portal.

"It was a historic moment. And for me, personally, a great occasion. [And also] for Tanzania, for all of Africa, for all of us who worked so hard to make it happen," Salim told Xinhua. China, one of the most important countries in the world, plays a pivotal role in the UN's vitality, and its membership is key to making the organization vibrant, he added.

Salim has always advocated continuous strengthening of cooperation with China, and hopes that China will play a more active role in maintaining peace and development in Africa. "Over the years, China has made important contributions to Africa's economic development and has been critical to advancing Africa's economic emancipation," said Salim.

Also in the 1970s, Salim was impressed by the Chinese Government's assistance to the construction of the Tanzania-Zambia Railway.

The Tanzania-Zambia Railway, originating in East Africa and linking the port of Dar es Salaam in east Tanzania with the town of Kapiri Mposhi in Zambia's Central Province, is one of the largest projects China has ever undertaken as part of its overseas aid program. It began construction on October 26, 1970, and was fully completed and operational on October 23, 1975.

In order to build the railway, the Chinese Government has provided an interest-free loan of 988 million yuan (then $401 million) and shipped a total of about 1 million tons of equipment and materials.

During the construction period, China dispatched about 56,000 engineering and technical personnel, and nearly 3,000 experts in various fields. They did all the work of explora­ti­on, survey and designing, and assisted the Tanzania and Zambia governments in the construction. Forty-seven Chinese experts, technicians and workers lost their lives while working on the project.

Therefore, the aid to build the Tanzania-Zambia Railway is a symbol of the profound friendship between the Chinese and African people. Tanzania, Zambia and even other African countries have praised the Tanzania-Zambia Railway as a "road of freedom" and a model of South-South cooperation, Salim said.

The construction of the Tanzania-Zambia Railway represents the profound friendship between the Chinese and African people, and I am deeply grateful for the tremendous sacrifices made by the Chinese Government and people in the construction of the railway, added Salim.

Unbreakable bond

"China will work with Africa to achieve our shared goal of building a closer China-Africa community with a shared future and turn it into a pacesetter for building such a community for mankind," President Xi said while presenting a new blueprint for the development of China-Africa relations in the new era and pointing out new directions at the Beijing summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation held in September 2018.

China and Tanzania have a very special relationship that has endured several decades. Regardless of the ever-changing world landscape, the bond between Tanzania and China remains unshakable, Salim said.

"It is a tie of friendship and trust," he said, adding that he hopes China and African countries will boost cooperation to further help Africa fulfill its economic transformation.

"It is anchored by those who see the bigger picture and always believe that only we have the capacity and ability to promote socio-economic development and prosperity," he noted.

"China's prosperity over the past seven decades is a testament to the viability of the Chinese path of development. I believe that the relationship between Tanzanians and the people of China will have a role to play in fostering that development. As they say in Kiswahili, Tupo Pamoja (we are together)," he said.

Like her father, Maryam is also full of affection for China. At the exhibition hall, she was delighted to be photographed alongside the screen of the video of China's resumption of its lawful seat in the UN. She also took photos of the vivid examples of China-Africa cooperation such as the Tanzania-Zambia Railway and the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation that were displayed at the exhibition.

"It's a spectacular exhibition. You can see the accomplishments in every aspect from science to education, as well as sectors like the high-speed railway and advances in agriculture," said Maryam.

"My father did not expect China to confer upon him such an important medal, but for decades, he has always said that Tanzania's relationship with China is unbreakable. I hope I can carry on my father's spirit and continue to make contributions to the friendship between Tanzania and China," Maryam added.

(Comments to likzh@chinafrica.cn)