Esperance Mukamusoni had to travel for three hours from her home in the city of Huye to reach Kibeho, a sacred site for Christians in Nyaruguru District in south Rwanda. But not anymore. Thanks to a road constructed by a Chinese firm, the travel time has been reduced to just 50 minutes. Now, Mukamusoni can easily join thousands of pilgrims from around the world who visit Kibeho each year.  Mukamusoni vividly recalls a time when pilgrims from Uganda would have…

Ten years ago, Chinese President Xi Jinping unveiled an economic and infrastructure blueprint to promote connectivity and boost trade and development. To date, the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) has transformed and improved the lives of millions of people across more than 150 participating countries worldwide. On the BRI’s 10th anniversary, it’s perhaps fitting to retrace Xi’s thought process and the steps taken since its launch in 2013.  In the book series Xi Jinping: The Governance of China, the BRI…

ADDIS ABABA, Sept. 25 (Xinhua) — China-Africa cooperation under the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) has boosted infrastructure connectivity and integration across Africa, a senior African Union (AU)official has said. This year marks the 10th anniversary of the China-proposed Initiative. “In those ten years, when we look at the landscape of Africa, we find very concrete evidence of the BRI,” said Albert Muchanga, AU commissioner for Economic Development, Trade, Tourism, Industry and Minerals. “You have got transportation networks, communication networks,…

Tanzania is an important Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) hub in Africa. It signed a BRI cooperation memorandum with China in 2018. Bilateral exchanges have been on the rise since then.  On the occasion of the 10th anniversary of the launch of the initiative, ChinAfrica sat down with Mbelwa Kairuki, Tanzanian ambassador to China, to hear his insights on the BRI, especially the changes brought by the BRI to the local people’s lives. Edited excerpts of the interview follow:  ChinAfrica: How did…

Chinese President Xi Jinping proposed the joint construction of the Silk Road Economic Belt in September 2013 in Kazakhstan, and the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road in the following month in Indonesia, together known as the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). In a decade, the BRI has become a reality, reviving the ancient Silk Roads.   The BRI, based on history and proposed by China, concentrates on the future and benefits the world as a whole. According to Ahsan Iqbal, Pakistan’s…

At the height of human rights abuses globally, the World Conference on Human Rights held in Vienna, Austria, adopted the Vienna Declaration and Programme of Action (VDPA) in 1993. This is a significant human rights document aimed to address the state of human rights globally and set a framework for promoting and protecting human rights in the future. Adopted unanimously, the VDPA recognises that the promotion and protection of human rights is a legitimate concern of the international community and…

The presidents of China and the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) announced on Friday the elevation of the bilateral relationship from astrategic partnership of win-win cooperation to a comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership. China and the DRC are strategic partners with a profound traditional friendship forged in the course of fighting for national liberation and opposing colonial aggression, Chinese President Xi Jinping said in his talks with visiting DRC President Felix-Antoine Tshisekedi Tshilombo in Beijing. Bilateral cooperation in various fields…

May 16 (Xinhua) — The China-Central Asia Summit will be held from May 18 to 19 in the historic Chinese city of Shaanxi. It is of milestone significance in the history of the relations between China and Central Asian countries. Over the years, the countries have been growing their relations following the principles of mutual respect, good-neighborly friendship, solidarity in trying times and win-win cooperation, yielding fruitful cooperation results. Below are some key figures that illustrate the cooperation and exchanges…

XI’AN, May 16 (Xinhua) — The Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) has been one of the most talked-about buzzwords in international cooperation over the past few years. While many people know that it was proposed by China, few may realize that the concept was first put forward in Central Asia. In September 2013, during Chinese President Xi Jinping’s visit to Kazakhstan, he delivered a speech of far-reaching significance at Nazarbayev University. In his address, Xi took his audience back to…