Video

Chinese President Hu Jintao welcomes Rwandan President Paul Kagame on his state visit to China. Rwandan President Paul Kagame met with Chinese President Hu Jintao on Monday (May 14) in Beijing to further consolidate relations between the two countries. This will be the second visit Kagame has made to China in under a year. He visited China in early November 2006 when the Chinese hosted the Africa Summit. This time he is in China at the invitation of President Hu Jintao on a 5-day state visit lasting until May 18. His visit in China will include the cities of Beijing, Shanghai and Shenzhen. He will attend the annual meeting of the African Development Bank in Shanghai this week. During his time in Shanghai, he will also meet with Premier Wen Jiabao. The African Development Bank's decision to hold its annual meeting in Shanghai only serves to highlight China's increasing influence in Africa. On the same day Kagame met Hu Jintao, Chinese scientists launched a Nigerian commissioned Chinese satellite in a deal worth over 300 million dollars. Rwanda has also turned to China for its technological development. Kagame's visit to China will include a meetings with China's ZTE Corporation who won the bid to develop a communications network accross Rwanda. China and Rwanda set up diplomatic ties in 1971. China has become an increasingly aggressive investor in Rwanda and its neighbouring African countries. According to official statistics, the total sum for bilateral trade between China and Rwanda in 2006 was 34.29 billion dollars. Rwandan President Kagame has spoken enthusiastically in favour of the strategic partnership under development between China and Rwanda. The two country leaders' meeting today culminated in the signing of an agreement to further economic ties in the areas of agriculture, construction and commercial trade.