Rwanda, China mark golden anniversary with vow for further cooperation

Celebrations to mark the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Rwanda and China were held on Monday, as the two countries reflected on their achievements as well as set the stage to explore new areas of cooperation.

The ceremony to mark the golden anniversary took place at the Chinese embassy in capital Kigali where Rao Hongwei, China's ambassador to Rwanda and Vincent Biruta, Rwanda's foreign affairs minister, exchanged congratulatory messages.

Rao said bilateral relations between the two countries have grown stronger despite changes in the international situation.

"Our two countries respect each other and treat each other as equals, have developed high-level political mutual trust and supported each other in international affairs. We have developed closer economic and trade cooperation, and expanded people-to-people exchanges," Rao said. "The people-centered concept of the Communist Party of China and the citizen-centered concept of the Rwandan Patriotic Front are highly compatible. The friendship between China and Rwanda is not accidental, but the result of like-mindedness."

While delivering his speech, Biruta commended the government of China's multidimensional contribution to the development of Rwanda in key sectors ranging from investment, infrastructure, Information and communication technology to mining, health, agriculture, defense and security.

"Our two governments have worked hand-in-hand to strategically develop our political and socio-economic ties through high-level political interaction and exchanges, which have made our bonds of relationship flourish at all levels," Biruta said.

The minister reaffirmed Rwanda's readiness to explore new ways to further deepen the two countries' relations under existing bilateral and multilateral frameworks. He also reiterated his country's appreciation for the solidarity and support of the Chinese following a donation of additional 500,000 doses of Sinopharm COVID-19 vaccines to Rwanda on Sunday.

"Rwanda looks forward to working together toward the full implementation of the consensus of the eighth session of the Rwanda-China Joint Committee on Economy and Trade, in line with Rwanda's Vision 2050 and China's Belt and Road Initiative, to further strengthen and expand the longstanding dynamic partnership and achieve maximum benefits of South-South cooperation," Biruta said.

According to Rao, the two countries' future development is intertwined and geared towards the same direction. He said China is marching toward the second centenary goal of building China into a great modern socialist country in all respects, while Rwanda is striving to realize "Vision 2050". 

"I firmly believe our two countries will strengthen collaboration and synergy between national development goals, further deepen practical cooperation for the benefits of our two peoples, and compose a new chapter of friendship that goes beyond thousands of hills and rivers," Rao said.

Investment in environmental protection was also celebrated. Last year, Rwanda's Ministry of Environment and the Rwanda Development Board signed a concession agreement with Chinese firm East Africa Bamboo Forest Industry Limited for the company to plant, manage and harvest around 2,300 hectares of bamboo in Kigali city and its surrounding districts.

The firm is planting bamboo with seedlings imported from China, and these will be used as material in the bamboo processing factories being set up. In addition, Rwanda's coffee beans are popular on China's e-commerce platforms and Rwanda became the first African country to export dried chili to China. Some 50,000 metric tons of dried chili will be exported to China in the next five years.