However,forRwandans,Chinaisnotstrangeatall.ChinahasbecomeRwanda’sbiggesttradingpartnerandprojectcontractor,alsooneofthemajorsourcesforitsforeigninvestment.Chinesecompanieshaveundertakenmorethan70percentofRwanda’snationalhighwayconstruction.AsXisaidinanarticlehewroteforRwandannewspaperTheNewTimes,titled“ChinaandRwanda:AFriendshipHigherthanMountains”:“ThefriendshipbetweenourtwocountriesistheepitomeofthefriendshipbetweenChinaandAfrica.”
TohelpourreaderslearnmoreaboutthevibrantAfricancountry,thefriendshipandmutuallybeneficialcooperationbetweenChinaandRwanda,andseeChinathroughtheeyesofanAfricandiplomat,ChinaTodayinterviewedRwandanAmbassadortoChinaCharlesKayonga.
ComplementaryAdvantagesPromisingHugeCooperationPotential
AfricancountriesareactiveparticipantsoftheChina-proposedBeltandRoadInitiative.DuringPresidentXi’sstatevisitsoffourAfricancountriesinlateJuly,ChinaandthefourcountriesofSenegal,Rwanda,SouthAfrica,andMauritiussoughttoexpandtheircooperationundertheframeworkoftheinitiativebyaligningtheirdevelopmentstrategiesandtakingadvantageoftheireconomiccomplementarity.
“TheBeltandRoadisaverywelcomeopportunityforbothAfricaandChina,indeedforthewholeworld,becauseitaimstocreateconditionsfordevelopment,buildinginfrastructure,improvinginterconnectivity,andalsoboostingproductivityalongtheroutes.AndRwandaiseagertotakeadvantageofthistobuildinfrastructureconnectinguswiththecoast,andalsobuildproductivitycapabilities,inordertoboostproductionandimprovetheaddedvalueofproducts,”saidKayonga.
Hewentontoelaboratethatasalandlockedcountry,RwandalookedforwardtocooperatingwithChinatoliftthecountryoutofgeographicalisolationsothatitcaneasilymovegoodstothecoasts,ortransitthemtotheothersideofAfrica.Inaddition,accordingtotheambassador,thecountryalsoexpectstoupgradeitsdevelopmentlevelinfieldssuchasmanufacturing,education,healthcare,andagriculturebycooperatingwithChinaundertheBeltandRoadInitiative.Infact,alltheseaspectsarecoveredinthecooperationagreementssealedduringPresidentXi’svisit.RwandadisplaysitstouristattractionsatGuangzhouInternationalTravelFair2018.Sincethetwocountriesestablisheddiplomaticties,theirbilateralrelationshavedevelopedbyleapsandbounds.TheChinesegovernmentstartedtoprovidescholarshipstoRwandanstudentsin1976.Eachyear,severalhundredtalentedRwandanstudentsgotostudyinChinaonChinesegovernmentscholarships.Asforhealthcare,ChinastartedtodispatchmedicalteamstoRwandain1982,andtherehavebeenhundredsofmedicalstaffworkinginRwandasincethen.AccordingtoPresidentXi’sarticle,theChina-sponsoredprojectofdrilling200wellsinRwanda,soontobedelivered,willhelpeasewatershortageforover110,000people.DigitalTVserviceswillsoonbebroughtto300villagesinRwandaunderanongoingprojectofprovidingaccesstosatelliteTVtoatotalof10,000Rwandanvillages,enrichingtheculturallifeofover150,000ruralresidents.
“ChinahasdonealotinRwanda.IwouldsaythatthecurrentdevelopmentofRwandareallycannotbespoken[about]withouttheroleofChina.Ithasbeenamajorcontributortoourdevelopment,”saidKayonga.Accordingtotheambassador,besidesroads,Chinesecompanieshavealsobuiltmanyskyscrapers,newresidentialareas,andhotels.“Chinesecompaniesareveryinvolvedinthese,andalsointheindustrialsector.Forinstance,ourbiggestgarmentfactorywasestablishedbyaChineseentrepreneur,”hesaid.
Rwandaisdubbedthe“SwitzerlandofAfrica,”foritselevatedgeographicallocationandlowertemperaturecomparedtotypicalequatorialcountries.Forexample,itscapitalKigaliisendowedwithaveryclementweatherwhtemperaturesbetween12°Cand27°Callyearround.ThecapitalcityisalsorecognizedasoneofthesafestinAfrica,andwontheUNHabitatScrollofHonorAwardin2008.Inaddition,thecountryaboundsinrareanimals,forexampletheMountainGorillaand700speciesofbirds.AlltheseconstituteRwanda’suniquetourismresources.
AccordingtoKayonga,RwandaisworkingtoattractmoreChinesetouristsbycarryingoutpromotionactivitiesandimprovingitsfacilities.“WeknowthatChinaistheworld’sbiggestoutboundtouristmarket,soRwandasurelyhopestoattractmoreChinese.WhatwearedoingnowisworkingwiththeRDB(RwandaDevelopmentBoard)andtheembassytopromotetourismproductsandconducttourismfairs,tobrandRwanda.Apartfromthat,thereareplansbythegovernmentofRwandatoworkwithChinatostartflightsfromRwandatoChina,beginningwithGuangzhou.AndalreadyChinahasprovidedusverygoodconditions,becauseChinahaslistedRwandaasoneofthepreferreddestinations.ThegovernmentencouragesChinesetraveltoRwandaasoneofthetopdestinations.”
InRwanda,therearealsoChineserestaurantsandhotelsrunbyChinesefirms.Moreover,supportedbythelocalConfuciusInstitute,manyRwandansarelearningChinese.AllthismakesKayongabelievethatmoreandmoreChinesetouristswouldvisitRwanda.
ChinaintheAmbassador’sEyes
Astheworldisbecomingincreasinglyinterconnected,globalizationhasbecomeanirreversibletrend.Inthereportdeliveredtothe19thNationalCongressoftheCommunistPartyofChina(CPC),GeneralSecretaryXiJinpingoftheCPCCentralCommitteereaffirmedChina’scommitmenttoapathofpeacefuldevelopment,buildingacommunitywithasharedfutureformankind,andforginganewformofinternationalrelationsfeaturingmutualrespect,fairness,justice,andwin-wincooperation.Kayongashowedhisendorsementofthenewconceptsconcerninginternationalgovernance.
“Wehavehadaverydifficultpastthathasbeencharacterizedbyunequal,sometimes,exploitativerelationships,wherebypeoplehavenotbeentreatedequally.SoPresidentXiJinping’sproposalofbuildingacommunitywithasharedfutureformankindisawelcomedplan,becauseit’saguaranteeforastablefuture.Whenpeoplehavemutualbenefit,whentheyrelateequallywithsincerityandrespect,thatiswhenyoucanhaveaguaranteeofstabilityandcontinueddevelopment,”saidKayonga.
Withoutthistypeofconceptrootedinpeople’sminds,“definitelythereispotentialforconflictandproblemsaswehaveseeninourpast,”theambassadorsaid.“Whether[lookingat]thepastofAfricaorevenglobally,wedonothaveverygoodhistories.It’sbecauseofthemainroleofunequalrelations.That’swhyIbelievethatthevisionofPresidentXiJinpingofbuildingasharedfutureformankindisalsosupportedbyourlead-ershipinRwanda.Ourcountryisstablealsobecauseofsharedandequalopportunities.Inthepastthathasnotbeenthecase,that’swhyIapplaudthisidea.”
Thisyearalsomarksthe40thanniversaryofChina’sreformandopening-up.UndertheleadershipoftheCPC,Chinahasliftedover700millionpeopleoutofpoverty,ahistory-markingfeat.Meanwhile,overthespanof40years,Chinahasdevelopedintotheworld’ssecondlargesteconomy.China’sexperienceisundoubtedlyinspiringandenlighteningforAfricancountries,whichsharesimilardevelopmenttrajectorieswithChinaandalsoseektoshakeoffpovertyandboosttheireconomies.
“[Itisveryimportanttohave]politicalstability.WeunderstandfromChina’sexperiencethatwithoutpoliticalstability,youcannothaveagood,solidbaseforyourdevelopment.Andthishasbeenassuredbyagoodpoliticalsystem,whichisdirectedbygoodpolitics,whichmainlyfocusesonimprovingthelivesandconditionsofthepeople.SowesharethatinRwanda.Wehavealsofoundourownpoliticalsystemthatissuitedforourconditions,supportedbyourpeople,andhasguaranteedstability,”saidKayonga.
HenotedthatChina’sopening-uphasalsoinspiredRwandaalot.“China’sdevelopmentbeganwithitsopening-up,whichstarted40yearsagowhenthecountryallowedinternationalcompaniestocomeinandrunbusinessesinChina.InRwandawehavealsoworkedtoestablishagoodbusinessenvironmenttoattractforeigninvestment.CurrentlyRwandaisratedthesecond[best]Africandestinationfordoingbusiness.”
ABrightProepectforChina-AfricaCooperation
XioncelikenedthefastdevelopingAfricatoagallopinglion.AsAfricancountriesspeeduptheirdevelopmentandbegintorealizeindustrializationandmodernization,andChinaquickensitseconomicrestructuringandupgrading,thetwosidesareseeinggreatpotentialformutuallybeneficialcooperation.TheFOCACBeijingSummitconvenedinearlySeptembermapsoutnewplans,rollsoutnewmeasures,andbringsaboutnewopportunitiesforcooperationbetweenChinaandAfricancountriesbyaligningtheBeltandRoadInitiative,theUNSustainableDevelopmentGoals,theAfricanUnion2063Agenda,andnationalstrategiesofAfricancountries.
“China-Africacooperationhasbeenthereforsometimesincethe1950s.Itwasinstitutionalizedin2000whenFOCACwasestablished.Nowthereisaplatformwhereourleadershipcanmeetregularly,fromseniorofficialleveltoministeriallevel,topresidentialsummitstodiscusscooperation.Andweseeprogramsbeingdevelopedandimplemented.Forinstance,intheJohannesburgSummitin2015,PresidentXiJinpingproposed10cooperationplans,puttingforward60billiondollarstoimplementtheseplans,”saidKayonga.TheC&HgarmentfactoryestablishedbyaChinesefirmin2015inKigali,capitalofRwanda,hascreated1,200jobsforlocalpeople.Theambassadorindicatedthatpeoplearelookingforwardtomoreplansandprogramsforthenextthreeyears.“Yousee,wearecooperatinginalltheseareas.Wearecooperatingatthepoliticallevelwherethetwosidesexchangeviewsonpolitics,politicalaffairs,andpayvisitstoeachothertobuildpoliticalunderstandingandtrustbetweenourpeoples.Attheeconomiclevel,wearecooperatingoninfrastructureconstruction,industries,trade,andfinancefacilitation.Atthesocialdevelopmentlevelwehaveexchangesonpovertyalleviationstrategiesandcarryoutcooperationprogramsoneducationandmedicalcare.Wealsohaveculturalandpeople-to-peopleexchangeswherecommunitiesmeet.AndthisishowwebuildpublicsupportforthecooperationbetweenChinaandAfrica,”saidKayonga.
Theambassadorwentontosay,thereisalsocoop-erationinpeaceandsecurity,becausepeaceisneededtodobusiness.
“ChinaandRwandaarebothparticipatinginpeacekeepingoperations.Forinstance,inSouthSudan,weareworkingtogetherwithothercountries.ItisalsointhecontextofChina-Africacooperationtomeetanddiscusspeaceandsecurityandthencooperateattheinternationallevel.Fromallthoselevels,FOCACprovidesagoodplatformforcollaborationbetweenChinaandAfrica.SoIthinktheforumisagoodthing.”
DespiteChina’sselflessassistancetoAfricancountriesofalltheseyearswithoutanypoliticalstringsattachedandtheirmutuallybeneficialcooperationonanequalfooting,Chinahasbeenaccusedofneocolonialismfromtimetotime.
Respondingtothat,theambassadorsaid,“Weknowhistoryverywell.WeknowthehistoricalcolonizationandthepartieswhohavebeeninvolvedinthecolonizationofAfrica.ForinstanceinRwanda,weknowthecolonialhistoryinRwandaandthedivisionsinourcountry,whichevenledtogenocide.ButwealsoknowthehistoryofliberationofthecontinentofAfrica,andtheroleofChinainthatliberation.SotheallegationofChinesecolonizationofAfricadefinitelyisfakenews.”