Tanzania, Aug. 27 -- One has to understand the context in which the request for the TAZARA was made by then President of Tanzania Nyerere. This was at the height of the Cold War, and it was fashionable to attack China. One example I can tell is, when Premier Zhou Enlai visited Africa for the first time, he made a famous statement in Somalia.
He said, "Africa is ripe for revolution." Then there was a brutal attack on him, saying he was bringing subversion. President Nyerere came out very strongly to say that Zhou Enlai was right, "Africa is ripe for revolution."
The revolution they talked about was the liberation of the African continent. So the chemistry between Premier Zhou Enlai and President Nyerere was very good.
When President Nyere...