Joint Statement between the People’s Republic of China and the Republic of Rwanda on the Implementation of the Three Global Initiatives. FULL TEXT

Published: September 07,2024

At the Invitation of H.E. Xi Jinping, President of the People’s Republic of China, H.E. Paul Kagame, President of the Republic of Rwanda, attended the 2024 Beijing Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) from September 3 to 5, 2024. 

On the sidelines of the summit, the two presidents held talks in a warm and cordial atmosphere and had a fruitful exchange of views on bilateral relations, and regional and international issues of common interests, particularly focusing on the Global Development Initiative (GDI), the Global Security Initiative (GSI) and the Global Civilization Initiative (GCI). Both sides decided to elevate the bilateral relationship to a comprehensive strategic partnership. 

1. Both sides agreed that in over 50 years of diplomatic relations, China and Rwanda have deepened their traditional friendship, strengthened political mutual trust, achieved fruitful results from practical cooperation, and closely coordinated on international affairs, benefiting both countries and the two peoples significantly. They spoke highly of the progress in China-Rwanda relations since President Paul Kagame’s state visit to China in 2017 and President Xi Jinping’s state visit to Rwanda in 2018. Both sides expressed satisfaction over the political mutual support and win-win economic cooperation between the two countries. 

Facing global challenges, both sides agreed to collaborate in building a community with a shared future for mankind, advocating for an open, inclusive, clean, and beautiful world of lasting peace, universal security, and shared prosperity. They support an equal and orderly multipolar world and a ─ 2 ─ universally beneficial and inclusive economic globalization. The Rwandan side highly appreciates and actively supports the GDI, the GSI and the GCI proposed by President Xi Jinping, which provide new opportunities for the development of the Global South and draw a new vision for international progress. The Rwandan side expressed readiness to jointly implement these initiatives with China. 

Both sides agreed to enhance comprehensive cooperation based on the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence. They emphasized mutual support on issues of core interests and major concern, a cornerstone of China-Rwanda relations. Both sides reiterated their opposition to external interference in each other’s internal affairs and pledged support for each other’s independent development paths suited to national realities. The Chinese side reaffirmed its firm support for Rwanda in safeguarding national unity. The Rwandan side reaffirmed its firm adherence to the one-China principle. Rwanda recognizes that there is but one China in the world, Taiwan is an inalienable part of China’s territory and the government of the People’s Republic of China is the sole legal government representing the whole of China, and Rwanda supports all efforts by the Chinese government to achieve national reunification. The Rwandan side believes that, like all countries, the People’s Republic of China has the right to deal with its internal sovereign matters independently. 

1. The Rwandan side welcomes the GDI proposed by President Xi Jinping for its role in the UN 2030 Sustainable Development Agenda, and is willing to join the Group of Friends of the GDI and sign the Memorandum of Understanding on Promoting Implementation of the GDI with the Chinese side. The Rwandan side believes that the Third Plenary Session of the 20th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China is a major opportunity for China-Africa relations, and that China’s further deepening reform and opening-up will provide cooperation, growth and market opportunities for Africa. The Rwandan side is willing to be China’s companion on the path to modernization, supporting each other in exploring a modernization model based on their respective cultural characteristics, development needs, and science, technology and innovation. 

2. The Rwandan side supports the GSI proposed by President Xi Jinping. Both sides appreciate each other’s positive role in the UN peacekeeping affairs, and are willing to strengthen political consultations and enhance political mutual trust between the two countries in view of promoting friendship and cooperation. The Chinese side strongly supports African countries in addressing African issues with African solutions. China views the Great Lakes region as a community with shared future and security, endorsing trust and peace through the Nairobi Process and Luanda Roadmap. The Rwandan side appreciates China’s efforts for African peace and security and is committed to collaborating with China for peace and stability across the continent. China and Rwanda are ready to jointly implement the GSI, and strengthen cooperation in areas such as climate change, cybersecurity, food security, disaster prevention and mitigation, and personnel security. Both sides agreed to effectively protect the safety and lawful rights and interests of each other’s citizens, institutions and projects on their territories. China and Rwanda condemn all forms of terrorism, oppose any terrorist attacks against civilians or double standards exercised in the fight against terrorism, and are committed to jointly fighting the spread of genocide ideology and hate speech in all their forms and to upholding highest human values of embracing diversity.

4 . The Rwandan side highly appreciates the GCI proposed by President Xi Jinping for respecting the diversity of world civilizations, carrying forward ─ 4 ─ the common values of humanity, advocating the importance of inheritance and innovation of civilizations, and strengthening international cultural and people-to-people exchanges and cooperation. They spoke highly of the two countries’ achievements in human rights and fruitful cooperation in areas such as culture, health, tourism, education, youth, and women’s development. The two sides are committed to further implementing this initiative. The two sides are willing to jointly implement the GCI, further expand people-to-people and cultural exchanges, enhance people-to-people friendship and strengthen the bond between their peoples, by stepping up the cooperation in the fields of radio, television, newspaper and online media, deepening exchanges between the media of the two countries over news coverage, programme production and personnel exchanges, encouraging and supporting the development of Confucius Institutes, Confucius Classes and other Chinese language teaching institutions in Rwanda, and enhancing vocational and technical training cooperation between the two countries. 

5. Both sides decided to take the 2024 FOCAC Beijing Summit as an opportunity to establish a China-Rwanda joint working group to accelerate the implementation of the GDI, the GSI and the GCI, fostering deeper China-Rwanda Comprehensive Strategic Partnership and contributing to a high-level China-Africa community with a shared future.

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