Smart Partnership in The South: The History of Tanzania-Malaysia Economic Engagements, 1960-2015

Abstract

The history of Tanzania's and Malaysia's economic interactions and engagements is explored and examined in this paper. It is a qualitative study that examines Tanzania's historical contacts and relationships with Malaysia from 1960 to 2015. It does so using a descriptive and historical-analytical method. Tanzania and Malaysia had historically established very close commercial and cultural relationships with significant Southeast Asian maritime traders before connecting with European international trade from the 15th century onwards. However, the formal political relations between the two countries did not begin to exist until after they had gained their independence and had been successful in forging bonds and reciprocal ties in several political settings and possibilities within the South-South partnership. Between 1980 and 2015, the two countries' relations did, however, shift from a political posture to more economic collaboration. This came about because of Tun Mahathir Muhamad and Mwalimu Julius Nyerere's attempts to commission a South-South commission, which was charged with tackling the economic problems affecting the countries of the southern hemisphere. This example of the growing relations between Tanzania and Malaysia shows how similar ties between and among other southern nations may be beneficial for stronger regional cohesion