By Jiang Yuntao, Chairman of CRJE (E.A) LTD and Chinese Enterprise Association (Tanzania)
Dar es Salaam
The Terminal 1 VIP building was delivered in just 75 days, setting a new benchmark for Tanzania's diplomatic reception capacity, CRJE Chairman Jiang Yuntao told delegates at the Phoenix Global Development Forum in Dar es Salaam.
Speaking on 3 October 2026 at the Johari Rotana Hotel, Jiang cited the project as an example of how CRJE consolidates the foundations of socio-economic development through infrastructure in support of DIRA 2050.
The Forum was co-organized by Phoenix TV and the Chinese Enterprises Association in Tanzania (CEAT) under the theme "Discover a New Africa, Explore New Opportunities." As Chair member of CEAT, CRJE (E.A) LTD was involved in the preparation from start to finish. About 100 guests from government, business and academia attended.
Guests of honor who gave opening remarks were Hon. Prof. Kitila Mkumbo, Minister of State, President's Office – Planning and Investment; Mr. Shigeki Komatsubara, UNDP Resident Representative in Tanzania; and H.E. Chen Mingjian, Ambassador of the People's Republic of China to Tanzania.
Jiang said CRJE's business covers housing and buildings, roads, airports, power, water, irrigation, ports and investment, and that the company is a leading force in five-star hotel construction, having built Kilimanjaro Hotel in Dar es Salaam, Gran Melia in Arusha and Park Hyatt in Zanzibar.
He listed other connectivity projects: Nyerere Bridge and its approach road that ended the era of ferry crossings between Kurasini and Kigamboni; Mtwara Port project improving operating efficiency and boosting agricultural exports from southern Tanzania; Iringa Irrigation Project promoting agriculture; Geita medium and low voltage electricity transmission line bringing power to thousands of rural households; Johari Rotana Hotel raising the bar for high-end business conferences; Victoria Nobel Center and Peninsula Noble Center contributing to regional prosperity; and Arusha Stadium currently under construction as a venue for next year's Africa Cup of Nations.
"The Terminal 1 VIP building was delivered in just 75 days, setting a new benchmark for Tanzania's diplomatic reception capacity," he told delegates.
Jiang traced CRJE's roots to 1969 when its mother company China Railway Construction Engineering Group (CRCEG) dispatched 1,114 employees to build TAZARA, undertaking 506,400 square meters including 93 stations, two repair plants, a technical school, depots, hospitals and accommodation. After TAZARA entered operation, a small maintenance team remained, with the Tanzania Branch formally registered in Dar es Salaam in 2000 – the same year Tanzania launched Vision 2025 – and renamed CRJE (E.A) LTD in 2013.
He said July 2025 marked a new historical starting point when H.E. President Samia Suluhu Hassan launched National Development Vision 2050 to build "a prosperous, just, inclusive and self-reliant nation" by 2050, followed by the September 2025 signing of the TAZARA revitalization project and November 2025 joint statement by China, Tanzania and Zambia on building the TAZARA Prosperity Belt.
On people, he said local workers account for more than 90 per cent of workforce, with mentor-apprentice training and last month's launch of the Chinese Workmanship for Tanzania Future Talent Development Program, plus support at marriages and bereavement and cultural team-building.
He also cited green development through the Kinondoni Composting Plant processing 50 tons daily, and digital development via smart construction showcased at May's CHINA HIGH-TECH exhibition with TBM.
"Times change, our business sectors change, and projects change — but CRJE's original aspiration of developing hand in hand with Tanzania has never changed," he concluded.
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