 China built a $780 million longest suspension bridge in Africa. A nation called Mozambique is located in Southeast Africa. The persistent civil war and the absence of a strong industrial basis have made the nation's long-term economic development challenging. One of the 48 least developed nations in the world at one point, according to the United Nations. China has been assisting this nation for more than 10 years, constructing significant infrastructure and enhancing local economic development. China paid $780 million to construct the largest suspension bridge in Africa in Maputo, the capital of Mozambique, realizing a 30-year-old ambition of the local populace. In truth, not many people are aware that Mozambique is paying China back for its assistance. So, what benefit may a suspension bridge that costs $780 million to build by China provide for Mozambique? This channel focuses on projects and the development of Africa. If you're just discovering this channel, we'd appreciate it if you click the like button. Don't forget to subscribe to our channel as well so that we can expand and continue to provide you with top-notch material. Maputo, a Bay City with 1.2 million residents and the nation's capital, is located in the southernmost point of Mozambique. Maputo, one of southern Africa's largest ports with an annual throughput of 10 million tons, is located to the east of the southern Indian Ocean. Only 580 meters separate the narrowest point on the north and south sides. Maputo port has established itself as a hub for international investors thanks to its prime position, and the city's economy has grown quickly. Only a body of water separates Maputo port's south bank, yet the economy falls behind owing to traffic issues. Mozambique's land transportation has long been hampered by this constrained harbor, which has also severely constrained the urbanization of the area. So for more than 30 years, the Maputo people have wished for the construction of a bridge over the harbor. In actuality, the project to construct the Maputo bridge began under the administration of Samor Marshall, the previous president of Mozambique. The city of Maputo created a plan in 1989 to upgrade the municipal network with assistance from the World Bank, which included the Maputo Bridge Development Plan. However, the ongoing civil wars in Mozambique and Angola over the past 10 years have made the situation in southern Africa insecure. As a result, the Maputo bridge's construction has been postponed for many years. However, this concept was once more incorporated into the plan in 2008 as a result of investors' confidence in Mozambique. Portugal at the time offered to finance the building of the Maputo bridge for Mozambique. Unfortunately, the global financial crisis began in 2008, which caused Portugal's economy to continue to contract and deteriorate. Year after year, the government's debt grew, and it nearly ran out of money to pay it back. Portugal simply cannot contribute to Mozambique's Maputo bridge building under these conditions. As a result, the project once more placed the Maputo bridge building plan on hold. China gave Mozambique hope up until 2011. China intended to contribute $780 million to Mozambique's Maputo bridge construction. The Maputo bridge spans the Indian Ocean Estuary in southeastern Mozambique. The bridge's total design length is 30-34 meters, with a main span of 680 meters. According to the Chinese plan, construction of the Maputo bridge will begin in June 2014, and will last four years. When the Maputo bridge is finished, it will be the longest suspension bridge in Africa, surpassing the Matati bridge in Congo. So how valuable is China's construction of this bridge to Mozambique? The bridge is one of the most important in Mozambique, and plays an important role in determining the level of development of the Canberria. The city of Maputo, which has a population of over 2 million, and a significant concentration of commercial, residential, and industrial regions, are located on the north side of the Maputo bridge. The city of Canem, which has fewer than 20,000 inhabitants and resembles a run-down village, sits to the south of the Maputo bridge. Despite the short straight-line distance between the two cities, it takes three to four hours, and at least 130 kilometers, to drive from Maputo to Canem. Now that the Maputo sea crossing bridge is complete, the two urban centers are directly connected, and the three-hour journey has been cut straight in half to less than 10 minutes. This bridge will have a significant positive impact on local development and traffic in the future. Additionally, the construction of the Maputo bridge will establish trade ties between neighboring South Africa and Mozambique. There used to be only one land route from Maputo to the neighboring country of South Africa. Therefore, the opening of this new economic corridor and international route will have a significant impact on Mozambique's future. Now that the Maputo sea crossing bridge is complete, the two urban centers are directly connected, and the three-hour journey has been cut straight in half to less than 10 minutes. This bridge will have a significant positive impact on local development and traffic in the future. Also, the construction of the Maputo bridge will establish trade ties between neighboring South Africa and Mozambique. There used to be only one land route from Maputo to the neighboring country of South Africa. Therefore, the opening of this new economic corridor and international route will have a significant impact on Mozambique's future. A terrible disaster struck China in 2008 when an earthquake of a magnitude of 8.0 struck the Sichuan province in Wichuan County. The earthquake claimed numerous lives. Following the earthquake calamity, various nations sent donations to China, including Mozambique, which gave 400,000 Mozambique medica to China. 400,000 Mozambique in Medica at the time was equivalent to roughly 6,500 US dollars. Although this amount may appear small, it was a significant amount of money for Mozambique at the time because in 2008, the country's per capita income was only $1.60, and its GDP was only $15,000. Although Mozambique does not contribute much in the way of aid, they have made every effort to assist China. China is extremely appreciative of this nation exactly because of its friendly actions. After its recovery, China has been assisting Mozambique. What then has China done over the years for Mozambique? In addition to the Maputo bridge that we just mentioned, China has also spent $1 billion in Mozambique, offering comprehensive support for the country's development. China has not only donated material aid, but has also worked with Mozambique to erect public buildings like hospitals and schools. The construction of a transportation line for Mozambique, which will make Mozambique one of the primary transportation routes in East Africa, is one of the more notable examples. Three cooperation agreements were also aimed in 2017 between China and Mozambique, one of which included money for the airport's construction in the amount of 15 million US dollars. China also gave material aid to refugees in the nation in October 2021 following the terrorist assault in northern Mozambique to help them successfully navigate the challenges. Cooperation between China and other nations has historically been focused on achieving long-term objectives. Mozambique will undoubtedly join the ranks of China's cooperative partners, marking a key milestone on the historic Silk Road. Mozambique has formally joined the Belt and Road Initiative as it has evolved. Future spheres of cooperation between China and Mozambique are anticipated to be more varied, and Mozambique's development is anticipated to be more prosperous. I appreciate you sticking with the video all the way through. If you enjoyed the video, please consider subscribing to Africa Reloaded so that we can work on future fascinating projects together. What do you think of this project? Let us know in the comments section. To receive notifications of our new videos, please turn on the notification bell.