China on Monday said it was ready to make more contribution to the development of Tanzania and other African nations.

Zhou Yongkang, a member of the Standing Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee Political Bureau, made the remarks in a meeting with Pius Msekwa, vice chairman of the Revolutionary Party of Tanzania.

"We are good friend and partner forever of Tanzania and Africa," Zhou said, noting China was proud of the achievements made by the African nations in their social progress.

The 1,860-kilometer Tanzania-Zambia Railway, built in the 1960s,was one of the biggest Chinese assistance projects in Africa.

Zhou cited the railway as a symbol of friendship, saying that now under the new historical period, China would continue its contribution to the development of Tanzania and Africa as a whole, in a bid to push forward a new type of China-Africa strategic partnership.

Msekwa once visited China in 1960s as a member of a Tanzanian parliamentary delegation. Calling him an old friend of the Chinese people, Zhou said Msekwa was an eyewitness of China-Tanzania friendship.

Msekwa said he once experienced the foundation and the cultivation of Tanzania-China friendship, and now he was honored to visit China again to help promote traditional friendly ties.

The two sides also exchanged views on party-to-party relations. Zhou hoped the CPC and the Revolutionary Party of Tanzania would increase exchanges to jointly benefit the two peoples.

Msekwa spoke highly of the CPC's governing experiences and its efforts to improve people's livelihood, saying that his party was willing to learn from the CPC in these sectors.

Msekwa was here on a visit from Dec. 13 to 19 at the invitation of the CPC.