Interview: Tanzanian lawmaker inspired by China's governance, modernization path

DAR ES SALAAM, March 10 (Xinhua) -- As the "two sessions" of China's top legislature and top political advisory body convene in Beijing, international attention is fixed on the policies being formulated, particularly those outlining the trajectory of China's high-quality development under its new five-year blueprint.

Ado Shaibu, a member of the Tanzanian parliament, believes China's governance and development path offers important inspiration for developing countries.

"China is an important partner for Tanzania, so what happens in China matters not only to the Chinese people, but also to the world," Shaibu, who chairs the Local Authorities Accounts Committee of the Tanzanian parliament, said in an interview with Xinhua.

He highlighted the practical orientation of the sessions, which "always focus on real issues such as employment, development, stability, and improving people's lives."

This year's sessions carry additional significance as 2026 marks the opening year of China's 15th Five-Year Plan (2026-2030) period. In Shaibu's view, China's political system has played a decisive role in driving the country's long-term socio-economic development.

"China is able to plan beyond short election cycles, and that is very important," he said. "When you look at China's achievements in infrastructure, poverty reduction and industrial growth, you can see the impact of policy continuity and strong coordination."

On China's whole-process people's democracy, Shaibu said, "What I find important is that democracy is treated as a continuous process of consultation, participation and, most importantly, delivering results."

In his view, the emphasis is on whether policies tangibly improve people's wellbeing through better infrastructure, education, healthcare and poverty alleviation. "That is why China describes its system as one that closely links governance with people's needs and long-term development," he said.

Shaibu believes democracy should not be measured by a single standard. Different countries have different historical backgrounds, cultures and development stages, and therefore choose different political paths.

"In many Western countries, democracy is centered on frequent elections and party competition," he said. "But sometimes this leads to polarization, social division, and policy instability, which can disrupt long-term development plans."

By contrast, he noted, China's approach emphasizes consultation, consensus-building and long-term planning, with a strong focus on results. "The advantage of 'Chinese-style democracy' is that it is closely connected to national development goals and people's well-being."

Shaibu also expressed a strong interest in Chinese modernization, which "provides both inspiration and practical examples" for Africa and other developing regions.

"Chinese modernization shows that there is no single path to development," he said. "It puts people at the center, focuses on improving livelihoods, reducing poverty, building infrastructure, and protecting the environment."

For African countries, he said, the key point is to pursue development paths suited to their own national conditions while learning from successful experiences elsewhere.

"China's governance system has delivered real results in development and living standards. Every country has its own system, and diversity should be respected," he said.