Foreign Affairs Minister Olivier Nduhungirehe has said Rwanda-China relations need to move beyond traditional cooperation towards greater investment, technology transfer, innovation and industrialisation.
Nduhungirehe said Rwanda wants to work with China to develop productive industries that can add value to locally produced goods and create products for export to the Chinese market.
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He said this on Thursday, September 24, in an interview with China Global Television Network (CGTN) in New York, on the sidelines of the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly.
Rwanda and China are marking 55 years of diplomatic relations this year.
"This is a strong relation and cooperation that we have with China,” Nduhungirehe said.
He said Rwanda appreciates Chinese investment in infrastructure, including roads, bridges and hospitals, which has contributed to the country’s development and the wellbeing of its people.
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The minister said the next phase should put greater emphasis on productive investment, trade and technology.
"We want to work with China on investment in a productive industry so that we can have value addition industrialisation on the ground in Rwanda to produce products that could be exported to China,” Nduhungirehe said.
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China-Rwanda bilateral trade reached $849 million in 2025, while Rwandan exports to China rose by 42 per cent to $227 million.
China is also Rwanda’s largest source of foreign direct investment, with Chinese companies investing in garments, cement manufacturing, farming, food processing, mining and road construction. Chinese carmaker Chery recently reached an agreement with the Rwandan government to set an electric vehicle assembly plant.
Nduhungirehe also welcomed China’s decision to remove import duties on products from 53 African countries, saying the move could help expand trade.
Rwanda as a gateway
Nduhungirehe said Rwanda wants to position itself as a gateway for Chinese investment and trade on the continent.
He linked this to improvements in Rwanda’s business environment, infrastructure and investment climate, alongside the opportunities created by the African Continental Free Trade Area.
China’s infrastructure investment across Africa and increased market access for African products, he said, could create room for more investment, technology transfer and trade.
"We believe that Rwanda can be a gateway for China on the continent,” he said.
He described the desired partnership as a "win-win partnership”, with increased Chinese investment accompanied by greater access for African-made products to the Chinese market.
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On US-China relations
Asked about Chinese President Xi Jinping’s current state visit to the United States and his talks with US President Donald Trump, Nduhungirehe said Rwanda wants the two countries to cooperate on issues that extend beyond their bilateral relationship.
He cited trade, climate change, development and migration as issues where cooperation between the two major economies could have wider implications for Africa.
"We want to see a world with less tensions between economic blocks, but with more cooperation that could benefit the African continent,” he said.
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Nduhungirehe said both the US and China are major markets and economies capable of investing in Africa, adding that African countries want to pursue development through trade and investment.