By Senior Editor, China Africa News
Kigali, Rwanda-Today, as we mark the 54th anniversary of diplomatic relations between China and Rwanda, the words of Chinese Ambassador to Rwanda Gao Wenqi strike a chord of continuity, promise and shared aspiration: “Our bilateral ties have grown from strong to stronger.
We are like-minded partners. We are long-term, trustworthy and reliable friends.”
What lies behind this statement is far more than diplomatic nicety it reflects a steadily evolving partnership that has moved from formal recognition to substantive cooperation across education, culture, infrastructure and trade, undergirded by a landmark state visit and an expanding strategic alignment.
When President Xi Jinping set foot in Kigali in July 2018 the first time a Chinese head of state visited Rwanda the message was loud and clear. He declared Rwanda an important stop on his post-election itinerary, noting he had “seen a country that is enjoying stability” and pledged that China-Rwanda ties would open a new chapter of cooperation.
Together, President Xi and President Paul Kagame oversaw the signing of 15 cooperation agreements covering everything from visa-exemption and civil aviation to e-commerce and human-resource development. It was not simply a ceremonial moment it marked a strategic turn in the relationship, moving it from the periphery to a central role in each country’s engagement agenda.
Since then, the results have become tangible. In education, for instance, the smart-education framework agreement signed in Kigali in December 2021 will connect 63 universities and more than 1,400 primary and secondary schools via a dedicated network and digital campus system.
It reflects a shared understanding that the future of development lies not just in roads or bridges, but in data-centres, networks and people empowered to use them.
Infrastructure has been a prominent thread too. Under the latest Joint Economic, Technical & Trade Cooperation Committee in March 2024, China and Rwanda reaffirmed projects worth around US$600 million covering urban-road upgrades in Kigali, a major hydropower plant (Nyabarongo II), and a well-drilling programme in borehole wells for rural communities.
Trade between the two countries has likewise taken off: Rwanda’s exports, such as dried chili peppers and coffee beans, now find a place in China’s vast e-commerce platforms; one report notes Rwanda in 2021 became the first African country to export dried chilli to China.
This cooperation is rooted in shared ambition. Rwanda’s Vision 2050, which aims to transform the country into a prosperous high-income nation, finds resonance with China’s messages of modernisation and partnership.
As Rwanda declares, “we are fellow travelers who help each other on the road to modernization,” and Beijing reinforces that “China welcomes Rwanda’s participation in the Belt & Road Initiative and encourages more Chinese investment in Rwanda to help advance industrialization and modernization.”
Culturally and human-to-human, the relationship is just as rich. Scholarships, vocational training, Chinese language and culture programmes all serve to deepen the people-to-people dimension.
In turn, Rwandan officials say the relationship “is positively impacting the Rwandan people,” citing broad cooperation spanning health, education, agriculture, technology and energy.
Certainly, this partnership is not without questions or challenges. As Rwanda’s economy matures, it will need to ensure that job creation, technology transfer and sustainable financing are more than just slogans. It will also need to maintain agency in how it chooses and uses partnerships. For China too, the model of “mutually beneficial” cooperation faces scrutiny around debt risk, local-job impact and governance.
But on this anniversary, what stands out is that the two countries have moved beyond simply being diplomatic friends to being strategic collaborators. Ambassador Gao’s wording “like-minded partners, long-term, trustworthy and reliable friends” speaks not only of goodwill, but of an intention to walk together.
And in the years since the 2018 visit, the evidence of that walking is visible: in classrooms wired for the digital age, in kilometres of freshly paved road, in exports reaching new markets, in young Rwandans studying in China, and in millions seeing their daily lives touched by cooperation.
In short, the China–Rwanda story is one of pragmatic growth anchored in shared vision. The next chapter promises to build on that foundation: digital and smart-infrastructure, green and sustainable development, deeper education and cultural ties, an expanding trade base and an ever stronger sense of partners walking side by side.
If the last 54 years have been about laying the foundation, the next phase may well be about building the tower together.
As Ambassador Gao says, “I am willing to work with all Rwandan friends and advance the comprehensive strategic partnership.” On this anniversary, that willingness is not just affirmed it is lived.
