Kagame, extended heartfelt congratulations upon the upcoming 75th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China, attributing the country's transformation over the last decade to effective leadership that prioritizes the values and expectations of its citizens.
"Effective state governance is undoubtedly central to the success China has achieved," Kagame said during the opening ceremony of the high level summit attended by more than 10 African Heads of State and Government.
"However, for governance to be truly effective, it must be grounded in the values and expectations of its citizens and not imposed from outside," he said.
Kagame highlighted China's impressive strides in poverty alleviation, development, and technological innovation as key areas from which Africa can draw valuable lessons to accelerate its own modernization efforts.
The Rwandan Head of State praised China's commitment to shared development, which has facilitated a flourishing relationship between the two regions in areas such as infrastructure development, scientific innovation plus peace and security. The Belt and Road Initiative, launched by China in 2013, was hailed by Kagame as a transformative force with a global impact, benefiting not only China but also nations like Rwanda.
Reflecting on Rwanda's post-genocide reconstruction, Kagame shared two crucial lessons. First, he emphasized that there is no universal model for governance; each nation must navigate its own path in accordance with its unique context, history, and aspirations. He described how Rwanda, in the wake of the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi, relied on homegrown solutions to rebuild its economic, social, and political foundations.
Kagame highlighted Rwanda's focus on national unity, economic diversification, and decentralized governance as pillars of its development strategy. "Our journey of self-reliance has allowed us to forge many productive partnerships, particularly with China and other African countries," he stated.
The Head of Sate expressed confidence that as new global challenges and opportunities continue to emerge; the Africa-China partnership will remain more united and strengthened. He acknowledged the significant gains made in trade, industrial cooperation, and people-to-people exchanges since the inception of FOCAC, demonstrating the vitality of South-South cooperation.
Looking ahead, Kagame reaffirmed Africa's readiness to build on the momentum achieved through participation in the three Global Initiatives on Development, Security, and Civilization proposed by President Xi Jinping.
On his part President Xi Jinping pledged to step up Chinese support to Africa with 30 infrastructure projects across the African continent and offer $50.7billion in financial assistance. The projects are expected to create a million jobs. "China is ready to deepen cooperation with Africa in industry, agriculture, infrastructure, trade and investment," Xi said during the forum attended by delegates from more than 50 African nations.
Wycliffe Nyamasege
