Museveni honoured in China

Museveni greeting Crispus Kiyonga, Uganda's ambassador to China after arriving in Beijing recently. Next to Kiyonga is foreign affairs minister Sam Kutesa

When heads of state visit countries, counterparts recognise them with medals of highest orders, but Uganda's President Yoweri Museveni's four-day working visit to China was exceptionally different.

On the invitation of his counterpart Xi Jinping, President Museveni visited China from the June 24 to 28 and besides the bilateral meetings he held with President Xi, he addressed the co-ordinator's meeting on the implementation of the follow-up actions of the Forum on Africa and China cooperation summit (FOCAC) in Beijing, the capital of the People's Republic of China.

FOCAC is the official forum that brings together China and Africa with a summit held every after three years. The last summit was held on September 2018 in Beijing and the next will be held in 2021, in Dakar Senegal.  All African countries are members of FOCAC except Eswatin (Swaziland).

Museveni praised China for its commitment to Sino-Africa relations in his speech, which also highlighted the reliability of Chinese partnership and friendship.

"China is able to give Africa the massive support, which nobody else was prepared to extend to us. One of our engineers recently told me that Uganda Railways tried in vain to get support from the World Bank until one official told them that countries that build railways should do so with their own money," Museveni said.

"Such a statement from an economist that purports to support Africa's transformation through private sector-led growth shows that some actors are not serious. How will the private sector growth if it is bedeviled with expensive transport costs, expensive cars or no electricity at all?". Museveni asked.

The statement shows that Museveni had been frustrated by possible development partners until China expressed readiness to fund what had been rejected many.

Other than the Isimba and Karuma dam projects, China is funding the construction of the Standard Gauge Railway (SGR) aimed at connecting East African countries. 

By building such infrastructure, China would have helped Africa access the big Chinese market and the Sino-Africa cooperation critics will never have what to say as they have done for a long time on the trade deficit.

Museveni some few years back identified 10 strategic bottlenecks, which have denied Africa economic growth and transformation; poor infrastructure and health and the fragmentation of the African market are among them.

His testimony suggests that China is key in addressing the core of unlocking these bottlenecks.

Inaugurates first ever China-Africa Economic Trade Expo 

Secondly, Museveni was honored when he officially opened the first "ever" China-Africa Economic Trade Expo held in Changsha, Hunan province of China. The expo is a platform for Africa to introduce its products to the Chinese market and vice-versa.

Here he addressed exhibitors, investors and over 1,500 foreign guests at the expo with a message which clearly expressed the importance Africa attaches to China.

"We salute the far-sighted Chinese leaders who opened up their economy since 1978, which has resulted in China's meteoric. With this enhanced capacity, the Chinese Government and Chinese companies have not wasted time in coming to the support of Africa." Museveni said.

One would ask why China preferred the Ugandan leader to any other African leader to grace this occasion. China has not come out to say why, however, besides the clear respect China showed to Museveni, such a choice also speaks volumes about the strong Uganda-China ties.

Visits Mao Zedong's birthplace

China also hosted President Museveni at the birthplace of its founding father, Chairman Mao Zedong, in Shaoshan village, Hunan Province.

Mao led a revolution that ushered in a new China and was instrumental in helping Africans fight colonialism. China making Museveni pay respect to his birthplace was a sign of honor towards him, Uganda and Africa.

President Museveni is among the few African leaders who have been hosted at the historic place. This was total respect to the Ugandan leader because of the love he shares for China. This love has not only earned him the honour, but further cemented the historic Uganda-China relations.

Mubarak Mugabo, is a Vision Group journalist attending a 10-month programme in Beijing, China, hosted by the China Public Diplomacy Association