Africa -China Review Africa -China Cooperation and Transformation
Published: September 11,2024
By staff Reporter
China and Rwanda deepened bilateral relations and practical cooperation while China-Rwanda relationship was elevated to a comprehensive strategic partnership. In a press briefing on Tuesday by the Chinese ambassador to Rwanda H.E Wang Xuekun at the Chinese embassy office in Kigali, ambassador Wang said that President Xi Jinping and President Paul Kagame held fruitful discussions and reached important consensus on deepening bilateral relations and practical relations. The meeting of the two leaders was at the sidelines of the Forum for China and Africa Summit (FOCAC) held in Beijing from September 4 to 6, 2024.
In a joint statement after the bilateral meeting, ambassador Wang said that China and Rwanda agreed to promote the implementation of the Three Global Initiatives and also signed 5 bilateral cooperation documents on promoting the implementation of the Global Development Initiative, honey export to China, digital sector and information communication, news media, and private sectors.
In terms of practical cooperation, China and Rwanda have deepened cooperation with China in various fields, including trade, agriculture, green development, and digitalization. The collaboration has led to tangible results, especially in poverty reduction and infrastructure development. China has also undertaken construction of various roads in different corners of Rwanda and in the city of Kigali, IPRC North in Musanze, and the Nyabarongo II Hydropower Plant. These projects have had a direct impact on improving livelihoods and supporting economic growth.
Ambassador Wang promised that soon, the Chinese government will announce more projects between China and Rwanda aimed at deepening economic trade and investment cooperation. “Regarding the cooperation in infrastructure, agriculture, satellite application mentioned by President Xi Jinping, our two sides are working hard on relevant specific projects,” ambassador Wang said in a press briefing.
President Paul Kagame also co-chaired the High-Level Session on State Governance with H.E. Zhao Leji, Chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress of China. At the meeting, “all participating leaders commended the achievements of China’s development and China-Africa cooperation, introduced national development experiences of their countries, elaborated their policy proposals for achieving unity and self-reliance of Africa, and looked forward to strengthening exchanges of experience in state governance and carrying out comprehensive mutually beneficial cooperation between Africa and China,” read a press statement from Chinese embassy.
