The Ghana National Theater in Accra, capital of Ghana on Sept. 15, 2014. (Xinhua File Photo/Lin Xiaowei)
BEIJING, March 23 (Xinhua) -- China's top legislator Zhang Dejiang paid an official goodwill visit to Zambia on March 18-22 and the two countries agreed to enhance bilateral ties in various fields.
The 10-day Africa tour will also take Zhang, chairman of the Standing Committee of China's National People's Congress, to Rwanda and Kenya, and is aimed at pushing forward the implementation of the outcomes of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) summit held in South Africa's Johannesburg in December 2015.
From railways to theaters, China has made major contributions in aid to countries throughout Africa, especially in the infrastructure sector. Take a closer look at the major projects:
1. Ghana National Theater
The National Theatre of Ghana was commissioned by the Ghanaian government and officially inaugurated on December 30, 1992. The Chinese-built architecture is one of the most impressive buildings downtown of national capital city of Accra. The theater has a building area of 11,896 square meters and is located right in the heart of Accra.
The Ghana National Theater in Accra, capital of Ghana on Sept. 15, 2014. (Xinhua File Photo/Lin Xiaowei)
The theater has become the citadel of artistic expressions in the country with regular visits and performances from foreign performers since its inception. The Chinese government provided the funding for the edifice.
2. The Julius Nyerere International Conference Center in Tanzania
File photo taken on March 21, 2013 shows the inside view of the Julius Nyerere International Conference Center in Tanzania's Dar es Salaam. The Julius Nyerere International Conference Center, which was built with Chinese government loans and completed in September of 2012, covers an area of 2.5219 hectares. (Xinhua/Meng Chenguang)
The Julius Nyerere International Conference Center in Dar es Salaam, capital city of Tanzania, was finished in September, 2012.
File photo taken on March 21, 2013 shows the inside view of the Julius Nyerere International Conference Center in Tanzania's Dar es Salaam. The Julius Nyerere International Conference Center, which was built with Chinese government loans and completed in September of 2012, covers an area of 2.5219 hectares. (Xinhua/Meng Chenguang)
The state-of-the-art conference center is used to host regional and international meetings and to boost the country's conference tourism. Chinese President Xi Jinping handed over the key to Tanzanian president on March 25, 2013.
3. Tanzania-Zambia Railway(TAZARA)
Photo taken on July 6, 2010 in a train leaving from Dar es Salaam, capital of Tanzania, shows a carriage of a train. In 1970s, tens of thousands of Chinese railway workers came here to build the 1,860-kilometer Tanzania-Zambia Railway, better known in East Africa as the TAZARA. Now, the local government was trying the best to attract investment in infrastructure projects in the country. (Xinhua File Photo/Guo Chunju)
Built with China's financial and technical assistance in the 1970s, TAZARA served as an important alternative transport exit for the copper-rich Zambia, which was then blocked by neighboring white regimes for its support to the liberation struggle of other African countries.
This file photo taken on March 20, 2013 shows the Cemetery for Memorable Deceased Chinese Experts Assisting Tanzania in Dar es Salaam. In the cemetery about 24 kilometers from Dar es Salaam, 69 Chinese engineers and workers were laid to rest, including 47 who lost their lives while building the Tanzania-Zambia railway that runs nearby. (Xinhua/Meng Chenguang)
The 1,860-km railway, which took over 50,000 technicians and workers seven years to complete in 1975 and was handed over to Zambia and Tanzania in 1976, was one of China's largest foreign aid projects and is considered as the emblem of China-Africa friendship.
4. The Zimpeto National Stadium in Mozambique
People walk inside Mozambique's national stadium in Maputo, capital of Mozambique, Jan. 17, 2011. The newly-completed stadium, which is sponsored by the Chinese government, occupies an area of nearly 270,000 square meters. With a floor space of 42,000 square meters, the stadium has as many as 42,000 seats. (Xinhua File Photo/Liu Dalong)
The Zimpeto National Stadium located in Maputo, capital of Mozambique, is regarded as one of China's biggest aid projects across Africa. The stadium, completed in November 2010, has a capacity of 42,000 spectators.It is mainly used for football events and was the main stadium for the 2011 All-Africa Games and 2017 Lusophony Games.
The picture taken on Jan. 17, 2011 shows an outside view of Mozambique's national stadium in Maputo, capital of Mozambique. The newly-completed stadium, which is sponsored by the Chinese government, occupies an area of nearly 270,000 square meters. With a floor space of 42,000 square meters, the stadium has as many as 42,000 seats. (Xinhua File Photo/Liu Dalong)
Fernando Sumbana Junior, Mozambique's former minister of Youth and Sport, told Xinhua that China's fund for construction of the National Stadium is the first major investment in sport sector after the country's independence in 1975.
5. The African Union (AU) Conference Center
Guests stand up in the national anthem of the People's Republic of China during the inauguration ceremony of the new Conference Center for the African Union (AU) in Addis Ababa, capital of Ethiopia, Jan. 28, 2012. The new Conference Center for the AU, which is sponsored by the Chinese government, was inaugurated here on Saturday. Jia Qinglin, chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, attended the inauguration ceremony and gave a speech. (Xinhua File Photo/Rao Aimin)
The African Union (AU) unveiled the China-funded conference center on Jan. 28, 2012 at its headquarters in Addis Ababa, the capital of Ethiopia. The high-rise project consists of two main buildings, including a tower housing offices with a capacity of 700 and a conference center equipped with facilities for top-level meetings. The grand hall of the conference boasts a capacity of 2,500, while another meeting hall accommodates 700.
Photo taken on Jan. 30, 2012 shows the night view of the African Union (AU) Conference Center, venue of the AU Summit in Addis Ababa, capital of Ethiopia. The China-Africa strategic cooperation has created a promising win-win scenario for the world's largest developing country and the fast-emerging continent over past decades. Chinese President Xi Jinping will visit Tanzania, South Africa and the Republic of Congo later this month and attend the fifth BRICS summit on March 26-27 in Durban, South Africa. (Xinhua File Photo/Ding Haitao)
China's top political advisor Jia Qinglin attended the inauguration ceremony, saying the building complex shows China's support for African countries to gain strength through unity and integration process.