China warns against foreign interference in wake of Tanzania’s contested election

China’s top diplomat on Saturday warned against any foreign interference in Tanzania in the wake of its contested election late last year.

In a statement shared at the end of an official visit, Wang Yi, congratulated the country for what he described as the “successful conduct” of the polls.

“China reiterated its full confidence in Tanzania’s leadership and institutions to manage internal affairs independently,” it added.

The legislative and presidential elections saw Samia Suluhu Hassan retain the presidency with 98 per cent of the vote in a race from which her main challengers were excluded.

Wang, who met with Hassan during his visit, made no mention of the post-election political violence that has soured Tanzania’s relations with the West.

The opposition says at least 2,000 people were killed by security forces following the October polls which international observers said were fraudulent.

Meanwhile, Beijing has stressed its support for the country’s “national sovereignty and security”.

China has invested heavily in Tanzania in recent years and in a statement, Wang pledged to strengthen cooperation noting a rise in trade between the two countries over the last five years.

Tanzania says Beijing has beefed up its investments in its low-tax special economic zones, where 343 Chinese-funded projects worth $3.1 billion were registered in 2025 alone.

After Tanzania, Wang will continue his tour of African countries in Lesotho, where US tariffs have strained relations with Washington.