China has agreed to endorse Rwanda with the Approved Tourist
Destination status in an effort to facilitate bilateral exchanges
and trade, President Hu Jintao told visiting Rwandese President
Paul Kagame in Beijing on
Friday.????
This has raised the number of tourism destination countries for
Chinese tourists in Africa to at least 10, including Kenya,
Tanzania, Zimbabwe, Tunis, Ethiopia, Mauritius, Zambia, Namibia,
Seychelles and Rwanda.
In his meeting with Kagame, Hu said he believed the friendly
cooperative relations between China and Rwanda would advance in a
healthy and rapid manner.
"The Sino-Rwandese ties have weathered time and domestic
changes, and witnessed strengthened governmental, legislature and
party collaboration over the past 35 years. We hope both countries
could continue to work together in global and regional affairs," Hu
said.
Kagame recognized the effective cooperation between Rwanda and
China in agriculture, fishery, sanitation and the construction of
public utilities. Bilateral coordination in international affairs
was favorable, he said.
Kagame arrived here Thursday for the Beijing Summit of the Forum
on China-Africa Cooperation slated for November 4-5. Rwanda forged
diplomatic ties with China on November 12, 1971. Bilateral trade
topped US$23.54 million in 2005.
On Friday morning alone, Hu rolled out red carpet at the Great
Hall of the People in central Beijing to welcome presidents of
Congo, Uganda, Sierra Leone, Rwanda and Ghana. He is scheduled to
meet with another five African presidents later Friday.
(Xinhua News Agency November 3, 2006)
