Ambassador Oliver Wonekha.
Trade between Uganda and China now stands at over US$ 1 billion.
Yesterday, the two countries marked 60 years of established diplomatic relations.
In her remarks in a webinar conference, Uganda’s Ambassador to China, Oliver Wonekha, said Uganda’s Economic journey is incomplete without mentioning the role played by the People’s Republic of China.
Quoting Bank of Uganda statistics by Bank of Uganda of 2020, Wonekha said trade between the two countries is over USD 1 billion.
Chinese investors have continued to invest in Uganda and currently, a number of industrial parks are being developed by Chinese enterprises.
Wonekha said that the 60 years of friendship have seen the cordial relations between our two countries grow from strength to strength with tangible achievements to show for it.
“On October 18th, 1962, just nine days after Uganda gained independence, China and Uganda established formal diplomatic relations. The year 2022 marks an important milestone in the history of the relations between China and Uganda. History has repeatedly testified that Uganda and China are good friends who stand by each other’s side through thick and thin. In 1971, Uganda supported China’s accession to the United Nations General Assembly and Security Council,” she said.
Wonekha said the theme for this year’s anniversary “60 Years of Strategic Friendship and Cooperation between Uganda and China Towards and a Shared Future in a New Era” reflects “our friendship over the past 6o years and also beckons hope for the next 6o years and more of stronger relations between our two countries.”
China, she said, “over the past 60 years has become one of Uganda’s largest sources of Foreign Direct Investment in major sectors that include infrastructure, construction, mining and quarrying, manufacturing and trade.”
“The government of Uganda doesn’t take for granted the role the Chinese government has played in the economic growth of Uganda especially the continued effort to industrialize Uganda and the fight to eradicate poverty by promoting trade; investment; tourism promotion; cultural exchanges; and Technology transfer between the two countries and creating an enabling socio-economic environment for businesses to prosper,” Wonekha said.
In the Economic sphere through the FOCAC mechanism, Wonekha says China has assisted Uganda to move faster on the path of transformation and development.
“The Chinese government has financed the construction of some of the major projects in Uganda these include; The six-lane, highway linking the capital city of Kampala to Entebbe International Airport; the construction of Karuma 600MW and Isimba 183MW Hydro Power projects, National Stadium Namboole, a 103 km road linking the western town of Fort Portal to the Democratic Republic of Congo, just to mention but a few,” Wonekha said.
In the Agriculture sector, Wonekha noted that China supported Uganda in establishing the Kibimba rice scheme and through FOFAC the Chinese Ministry of Agriculture and rural affairs has signed different MoUs to provide joint working groups to work on the modernisation of agriculture.
She revealed that other MOU`s signed by the two countries include; the Social and live hood project to support the Parish Development Model, Funding of the China-Uganda friendship hospital (China continues to provide medical supplies and personnel to Naguru hospital), The twin-city cooperation between Jinja and Shenyang a product of FOCAC, Military cooperation agreements and in the education sector China has continued to offer scholarships opportunities and training to Ugandan scholars among others.
Wonekha is hopeful that the participants Uganda-China 60th anniversary dialogue will endeavour to “further the relationship between the two countries by identifying opportunities that can promote a mutual cooperation for the benefit of our two peoples, especially investments in major key sectors like Oil, Mining, Agroprocessing, Infrastructure, ICT, Housing, and Services.”
Wonekha said Uganda looks forward to China facilitating market access of Ugandan agricultural products into the Chinese market.
Martin Muhangi who represented the Director General of the Uganda Investment Authority said the partnership between Uganda and China signifies a great commitment and the enhanced effort to harness the abundant investment and business potential between of the two countries.
The Ambassador of China to Uganda, Zhang Lizhong, said that China appreciates the firm commitment of Uganda to the One-China principle, which forges the core of the diplomatic relations between Uganda and China.
Lizhong said he was happy to say that the bilateral relations are at their best in history.
“I call upon all fields of Uganda and China to forge ahead to fulfill consensus of both our national leaders and work hand in hand to open a new chapter of friendship, cooperation and brotherhood in the next six decades and more,” Lizhong said.
