Tanzania has officially launched the Swahili edition of Chinese President Xi Jinping’s influential book “Up and Out of Poverty”, in a move aimed at sharing lessons from China’s poverty reduction experience with Tanzanian policymakers, scholars, and development workers.
The launch ceremony, held on Thursday, September 11, 2025, brought together senior officials, scholars, and diplomats. Chinese Ambassador to Tanzania, Chen Mingjian, handed over copies of the book to former Mkuki na Nyota Publishers Managing Director Walter Bgoya and former CCM Secretary General Wilson Mukama.
The book is a collection of 29 speeches and research reports written by Xi Jinping when he served as Secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Ningde Prefectural Committee in Fujian Province between 1988 and 1990.
It documents his practical efforts to lift rural communities out of poverty and provides a framework for inclusive development.
Speaking at the event, Ambassador Chen said the book’s translation into Swahili was a gift from the Chinese people to Tanzania, symbolizing the long-standing friendship between the two nations.
She expressed hope that the ideas in the book would inspire Tanzanian leaders to find innovative ways of reducing poverty, improving rural livelihoods, and promoting sustainable development.
Former CCM Secretary General Wilson Mukama praised the initiative, noting that Tanzania can learn from China’s success in lifting more than 800 million people out of poverty. “This book is not just about China’s past; it is a guide that shows what is possible when there is political will, community participation, and effective leadership,” he said.
The Swahili edition will be distributed to universities, public libraries, and policy institutes across Tanzania to encourage study and discussion. Development experts see the launch as an opportunity for Tanzania to adapt successful poverty alleviation strategies to its own unique context.
With poverty reduction still high on Tanzania’s national agenda, the book’s release comes at a crucial time, offering both practical solutions and inspiration for building a more prosperous future.
