Chinese ambassador to Tanzania Lu Youqing said on Friday that China attaches great importance to the China-Tanzania relationship and should take more actions to strengthen its ties with Tanzania.

Lu Youqing, Chinese ambassador to Tanzania talks to a press group at the Chinese embassy in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania on September 21, 2012. [Pang Li/China.org.cn]

Lu made the remarks amid "Experience China," a cultural exchange program between China and Tanzania taking place in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania's largest city.

The ambassador said that Tanzania, a close ally of China for several decades, is a significant political influence in the region, but the solid relationship that China established with Tanzania in the 1960s has been weakened as the two countries underwent considerable economic and social changes.

Tanzania adopted a new political system in the 1990s, which has had a profound influence on its ties with China. The country also saw great changes in its demographic structure with more than 70 percent of its population under 35 years old. These young people, however, are often not aware of the proud history of China-Tanzania bilateral relations, Lu said.

Meanwhile, Western countries, with cultures and political systems similar to those of Tanzania, have made considerable efforts to bring the country closer to them, which poses a great challenge for China, Lu said.

As the Chinese presence in Africa increases, Western countries have vilified Chinese ventures on the continent, describing China as a natural resource pillager. China shall not hesitate to rebuff these absurd, groundless accusations, Lu said.

Lu also pointed out that the Chinese public, as well as many Chinese government officials, do not have sufficient knowledge of Africa or fully understand the importance of enhancing China's ties with the continent. The media, he said, focuses on reporting the negative aspects of the continent and does not show the real Africa to Chinese readers. Cultural exchanges between China and the African continent are the weakest link in relations.

In a separate interview, Hermas J.M. Mwanzoko, Director of Culture Development of Tanzania's Ministry of Information, Youth, Culture and Sports echoed the ambassador's points. He said that the country's young people, who make up more than 70 percent of the country's population, are overwhelmingly influenced by Western culture. Generally, only middle-aged or elderly people have shown some interest in China or Chinese culture.