While diplomatic ties were formally established in 1971, it was in 1995, following then Vice President Paul Kagame\u2019s first official visit to China, that the relationship became more active across trade, political and investment fronts.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt has been an exciting journey and we have seen a lot of results in many spheres of national life,\u201d said Rwanda\u2019s Ambassador to China, James Kimonyo, in a recent exclusive interview with IGIHE. <\/p>\n
\u201cThanks to the excellent relations between Rwanda and China, we\u2019ve moved from engagement to action,” he added.<\/p>\n
That action is increasingly evident in the area of trade. In 2019, Rwanda was exporting only about $35 million worth of goods to China. By 2024, that number had jumped to nearly $160 million, an increase of over 350 percent in just five years. <\/p>\n
The range of Rwandan products entering China has also diversified, from coffee and tea to chilli and other non-resource goods, all benefiting from China\u2019s zero-tariff policy for least developed countries. China, meanwhile, continues to export close to $500 million worth of products to Rwanda annually, underscoring a growing but still imbalanced trade relationship.<\/p>\n
But the real shift, according to Ambassador Kimonyo, is in direct investment. Between November 2023 and May 2024, more than 26 Chinese companies visited Rwanda, many of them returning with concrete investment proposals. <\/p>\n
\u201cThe quick move by the companies is an indication that they are already weighing and they are so excited about the investment opportunities that Rwanda is presenting,\u201d Kimonyo said.<\/p>\n
He confirmed that China was the leading contributor to foreign direct investment in Rwanda last year, ahead of India and the United States. <\/p>\n
\u201cThis all begins with what our government has done in terms of creating a very conducive, attractive environment for investment,\u201d he said. <\/p>\n
\u201cThe Chinese are very conscious, very aware and very excited, sometimes skeptical at first but once they see what\u2019s on the ground, the interest becomes real.\u201d<\/p>\n