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GV EXTERIOR Mulungushi Hall, Lusaka, Zambia
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LV Tanzanian, Chinese and Zambian flags flying outside hall
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SV INTERIOR Zambian ministers seated
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SV General Kingsley Chinkuli, Zambian Minister of Power, Transport and Communications & Chairman of the conference addressing delegates (2 shots)
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SV Mr. Ibrahim Kaduna, Tanzanian Minister of Trade, seated
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GV Chinese delegation headed by Mr. Li Ke, Chinese Vice-Minister for Foreign Economic Relations (2 shots)
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SV Mr. Ibrahim Kaduna addressing conference as Chinese delegates listen (3 shots)
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SV Delegates applaud
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SV Mr. Li Ke addressing conference
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Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved

Background: Ministers from Tanzania, China and Zambia held an unscheduled third day of talks on Wednesday (27 August) on the serious financial and technical problems facing the Chinese-built Tanzania-Zambia railway. The line, which was opened in 1975, has shown a net loss of 25 million dollars in the past four years and has almost been crippled by technical difficulties.

SYNOPSIS: The meeting, held in the Zambian capital Lusaka, was the tenth tripartite session on the railway which stretches 1,860 kilometres (1,160 miles) from Central Zambia to the Tanzanian capital Dar Es Salaam.

In his opening address on Monday (25 August) the Zambian Transport Minister General Kingsley Chinkuli listed the major difficulties on the line as unreliable Chinese-made diesel locomotives, shortages of spare parts and skilled personnel, and liquidity and financial management problems.

The Chinese delegation was headed by Mr. Li Ke, Vice-Minister for Foreign Economic Relations. He said he was confident the problems could be solved by joint efforts between the three governments.

The high-powered Tanzanian delegation was led by Mr. Ibrahim Kaduna, the Minister of Trade, but Finance Minister Amir Jamal was also in attendance. The line suffered severe difficulties last year on the Tanzanian side from landslides. Important bridges in Zambia also suffered from commando strikes by white Rhodesian forces during Zimbabwe's Independence war.

China made substantial interest-free loans to Zambia and Tanzania to build the line and repayments are due to start in 1983.