坦赞铁路是中国援助非洲的标志性工程。毛泽东、周恩来从支援民族解放运动、确立中国大国形象和推动中非友好合作等因素出发,在坦赞两国屡遭拒绝的情况下,果断决定援建坦赞铁路。在援建坦赞铁路的决策过程中,周恩来发挥了关键作用:既要听取相关部门意见,进行行政动员,还要为党中央和毛泽东提供决策信息;不仅要同坦桑尼亚进行深入接触,还要做赞比亚领导人的工作。在铁路建设阶段,为使铁路符合受援国要求,周恩来指示铁道部派精兵强将进行勘测;在三个国家谈判的关键点,主持攻克了技术难关;筹措国内力量支援铁路建设;加强对援外工人的教育工作。坦赞铁路不仅是实现非洲民族独立和发展的自由之路,也铸就了一座中非友好的历史丰碑。 Tanzania-Zambia Railway is China’s landmark project to aid Africa. Starting from such factors as supporting the national liberation movement, establishing the image of a big power in China, and promoting friendly cooperation between China and Africa, Mao Zedong and Zhou Enlai have decisively decided to aid the construction of Tanzania-Zambia Railway since the two countries rejected it repeatedly. Zhou Enlai played a key role in the decision-making process for aiding the Tanzania-Zanzibar Railway. He not only listened to the opinions of the relevant departments and mobilized the government, but also provided decision-making information to the Party Central Committee and Mao Zedong. Not only did he have to make further contacts with Tanzania, but he also needed to do Zambian leader’s job. In the railway construction phase, in order to make the railway meet the requirements of the recipient countries, Zhou Enlai instructed the Ministry of Railways to send top troops to conduct surveys; at the key points of the negotiations among the three countries, presided over the technical difficulties; mobilized domestic forces to support railway construction; Worker’s educational work. Tanzania-Zambia Railway is not only the road to freedom for the nation’s independence and development in Africa, but also casts a historic monument of friendship between China and Africa.