Amb. Wang Xuekun said that he is honoured to represent his country to Rwanda and reiterated commitment to deepen bilateral cooperation and friendship.
“Since the establishment of our bilateral ties, our bilateral cooperation and friendship have grown at faster pace. In recent years, the exchange between President Kagame and Xi Jinping have brought our bilateral relations to a new stage. We look forward to working together to promote our bilateral political trust and promote the mutual beneficial cooperation.
Rwanda and China started bilateral ties only after a decade of Rwanda’s Independence from Belgium.
Since 1971 and more particularly after the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi in Rwanda, the two countries have worked closely to strategically develop their political and socio-economic ties.
China has greatly contributed to the development of Rwanda in key sectors ranging from investment, infrastructure, Information and Communication Technology (ICT), to mining, health, agriculture, defense and security.
Among others, China currently ranks among the top investors in Rwanda which has created thousands of jobs in different sectors.
In addition to traditional cooperation areas, the two countries enjoy cooperation in e-commerce, trade in high-quality agricultural produce, as well as combating the COVID-19 pandemic.
Rwanda’s coffee beans are popular on China’s e-commerce platforms.
Rwanda became the first African country to export dried chili to China. Figures released last year show that some 50,000 tons of dried chili were expected to be exported to China in 5 years.
Meanwhile, Amb. Andrew Zumbe of Malawi who also presented credentials to President Kagame said that more efforts will be expended to promote trade for the benefits of both countries’ people.
“I am here to learn what Rwanda is doing right. Rwanda is at the stage where we want to be. So, I will do my best to learn and advise my government what we must do. Besides, there is a lot we can do together like trade and tourism,” he said.
“We need to end this idea that we need to get visas to go to Malawi or come to Rwanda. I think Rwanda has done that and Malawi needs to do the same. Apart from that, there are things to do with the youth and women to empower people,” added Zumbe.
Rwanda and Malawi enjoy cooperation in different areas. In 2021, Rwanda National Police (RNP) and Malawi Police Service (MPS) signed an extradition treaty that will see both countries exchanging suspected criminals to face justice.
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