Hon. Oliver Wonekha, Uganda’s Ambassador to the People’s Republic of China has rallied more Chinese to invest in Uganda since the relationship between the two countries is just strengthening year by year.
On October 18, 1962, nine days after Uganda gained independence, China and Uganda established formal diplomatic relations. The year 2022 marks exactly 60 years of these relations.
Speaking at the Webinar conference as part of the anniversary, Amb. Wonekha said that this year 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
China, she said has over the past 60 years 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,” she said
This year’s commemoration will be marked under the theme: “60 Years of Strategic Friendship and Cooperation Between Uganda and China Towards and a Shared Future in a New Era”
Wonekha said this clearly 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.
“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,” she said
On Trade relations with China, Amb. Wonekha said Uganda’s Economic journey is incomplete without mentioning the role played by the People’s Republic of China. According to statistics by the Bank of Uganda as of 2020 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,” she said adding,
“It is my wish and hope that the participants of this dialogue will endeavor to further the relationship between the two countries by identifying opportunities that can promote mutual cooperation for the benefit of our two peoples, especially investments in major key sectors like Oil, Mining, Agro-processing, Infrastructure, ICT, Housing, and Services. As I conclude, Uganda looks forward to China facilitating market access of Ugandan agricultural products into the Chinese market,” she said.
Speaking at the conference, H.E. Zhang Kizhog the Ambassador of the People’s Republic of China to Uganda said that China and Uganda have for over the past 60 years, forged unbreakable fraternity through our struggle against imperialism and colonialism, and have embarked on a distinct path of cooperation in our journey toward development and revitalization.
“Together, we have written a splendid chapter of mutual assistance amid complex changes, and set a good example for building an even stronger China-Africa community of shared future in the New Era,” he said
“In the fight against COVID-19, the two countries have all along been supporting each other, and the Chinese Government has provided three batches of preventive and medical materials as well as 1.6 million doses of vaccines to Uganda, as the two countries are working closely for the implementation of more Chinese vaccine donations to Uganda,” he said
