MAPUTO, April 18 (Xinhua) -- Marking the 10th anniversary of their comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership in 2026, China and Mozambique are seeing tangible progress in infrastructure, trade, and people-to-people exchanges, delivering momentum to local development and better livelihoods.
INFRASTRUCTURE UPLIFTS LOCAL LIVES
The Maputo-Katembe Bridge, built by China Road and Bridge Corporation, spans the Maputo Bay and serves as a key transport artery and urban landmark. As Africa's longest suspension bridge by main span, it has reduced the time needed to cross the bay to 5-10 minutes and is regarded by locals as a "bridge of dreams."
In the suburbs of Maputo, a water supply project constructed by China Henan International Cooperation Group benefits nearly 72,000 residents. Fernando Rafael, minister of Public Works, Housing and Water Resources of Mozambique, said that it has added about 30,000 cubic meters of daily water supply capacity, further improving local living conditions.
In Tete city, China Jiangxi International Economic and Technical Cooperation Company has built nearly 3,000 household toilets, helping local families move away from open defecation and live in safer and more hygienic conditions. "Now we have our own toilet, and our children have a more private place to bathe. We feel much more at ease," said Flora Rui, a local resident.
From the bridge spanning the sea to community-level water and sanitation projects, infrastructure initiatives continue to expand, becoming vital support for Mozambicans striving for a better life.
COOPERATION FUELS TRANSFORMATION
Effective from Dec. 1, 2024, China has granted zero-tariff treatment on 100 percent of products to all least-developed countries with which it has diplomatic relations, including Mozambique, making Mozambican products more competitive in the Chinese market. According to Chinese customs statistics, two-way trade reached 5.4 billion U.S. dollars in 2025.
In Niassa Province in northern Mozambique, a graphite processing plant built by Jinan Yuxiao Group has a total investment of about 150 million U.S. dollars, with a planned annual output of 200,000 tonnes. Mozambican President Daniel Chapo said at the inauguration ceremony that the project would help shift the country away from a single development model based on raw material exports and promote higher value-added exports.
In the agricultural sector, cooperation continues to deepen. In Gaza Province, the Wanbao rice farm, backed by the China-Africa Development Fund, has boosted rice production through cooperation with local farmers, increasing yields from 1-2 tonnes per hectare to 5-7 tonnes per hectare, thus improving land use efficiency by about 10 fold.
China's senior agricultural experts group in Mozambique is another key component of bilateral cooperation. Agronomist Germano Manuel of the Agricultural Research Institute of Mozambique said that with support from Chinese experts, a seed laboratory has been established for seed quality evaluation.
"When seed quality improves, agricultural output naturally increases," he said, adding that such technologies are expected to be gradually promoted nationwide to enhance Mozambique's overall agricultural capacity.
Driven by both policy support and market forces, China-Mozambique economic and trade cooperation continues to expand, helping Mozambique upgrade industrial chains and inject sustained momentum into development.
EXCHANGES CEMENT FRIENDSHIP
This year marks the China-Africa Year of People-to-People Exchanges. China-Mozambique cultural ties boast a long history and continue to yield new outcomes in the new era.
Since 1976, China has dispatched 26 medical teams to Mozambique. This decades-long health cooperation has become one of the most people-centered aspects of bilateral relations.
Chen Jialei, head of the 26th Chinese medical team to Mozambique, said the team has carried out multiple free medical consultations in Mozambique.
"These are practical actions to serve communities and safeguard lives, while also helping enhance local healthcare capacity and promote the building of a global community of health for all," he said.
Language serves as a bridge between civilizations. Since its establishment in 2012, the Confucius Institute at Eduardo Mondlane University has provided Chinese language training, enabling local youth to broaden people-to-people exchanges between the two countries.
Motivated by an interest in Chinese martial arts, Moises Francisco, a young Mozambican, joined Chinese language training, later studied in China, and returned to become a teacher at the Confucius Institute.
"For Mozambican youth, learning Chinese often means more job opportunities and the possibility of realizing their dreams," he said. ■
