Prime Minister Edouard Ngirente, on Monday, October 30, received a Chinese delegation led by Zhuang Rongwen, Minister of Cyberspace Administration of China (CAC). Their discussions centered on cooperation between the two countries especially in ICT. According to Paula Ingabire, the Minister of ICT, Rongwen visited Rwanda as the first country in Africa since assuming his position and that during his visit, he discussed various aspects of the countries' ties, and cyber security. ALSO READ: Rwanda, China celebrate 50 years of bilateral ties She pointed out that there were existing ties between both countries, arguing that Chinese companies were operating in the country within the field of technology. She added that CAC, in particular, had a relationship with the local national cybersecurity body. “We used to primarily collaborate with them on capacity building for our cybersecurity professionals. However, during this visit, we delved deeper into discussions regarding potential partnership beyond training and initiated conversations about cybersecurity research,” she said. ALSO READ: Rwanda set to pilot 5G internet Ingabire said that they also discussed 5G connectivity, adding that many developed countries have already begun working on it. The discussions also revolved around ways to expand the country's capacity in 5G infrastructure and collaborate to protect information and technology infrastructures. She further emphasized that the Internet knows no limits, and thus, she stressed the importance of joint efforts in combating cyberspace threats through global cooperation. ALSO READ: 5 pitfalls of violating personal data protection and privacy law However, she mentioned that effective international collaboration typically requires pre-existing national strategies. She also highlighted the need for capacity building to address cyber threats, noting that as technology evolves, threats also change shape, and people must continually upgrade their capabilities. Rongwen's visit coincides with Cyber Security Month, which concludes on October 31. ALSO READ: AI has potential to create jobs with higher economic value, says ICT minister Meanwhile, Ngirente also met with Paul J. LeBlanc, the President of Southern New Hampshire University (SNHU), and discussed partnership aimed at promoting quality education and the use of Artificial Intelligence.
