China grants Rwanda tourism destination status

Chinese President Hu Jintao (1st R) meets with Rwandan President Paul Kagame (2nd L) at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, Nov. 3, 2006. Paul Kagame is in Beijing for the Beijing Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC), which is scheduled for Nov. 4-5. (Xinhua Photo) Photo Gallery >>>

BEIJING, Nov. 3 (Xinhua) -- China has agreed to endorse Rwanda with the Approved Tourist Destination status in an effort to facilitate bilateral exchanges and trade, Chinese President Hu Jintao told visiting Rwandese President Paul Kagame here 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 Nov. 4-5. Rwanda forged diplomatic ties with China on November 12, 1971. Bilateral trade topped 23.54 million U.S. dollars in 2005.