Paul Kagame, the president of Rwanda, defends China’s business relationships with Africa. Following the recently finished US-Africa Leaders’ Summit, he did this in an interview. Additionally, he exhorted the west to take action and cease griping about China’s commercial sway in Africa.
Paul Kagame, the president of Rwanda, has sided with China in its conflict with the West over trade relations with Africa. Numerous economic topics, including the US’s current and future business dealings with Africa, were discussed amongst the relevant parties during the US-Africa Leaders’ Summit, which took place between December 13 and 15.
This would entail expanding America’s sphere of influence in Africa, which implies reducing the impact that other markets like China have been able to accrue over time. Even though the administration of President Joe Biden made clear that the conference had nothing to do with China’s economic sway in Africa, the topic was nonetheless glossed over.
The president of Rwanda freely acknowledged that Africa has the freedom to consider partnering with anybody she wishes in the area of finance. He was outspoken in support of Africa’s efforts to deepen its relationship with Ch
ina. China has recently eclipsed the US in trade and economic cooperation with Africa, having formed business partnerships with numerous African states.
“I don’t think we need to be bullied into making or taking choices – choosing between the US or China; it’s really none of our business. I think we need to have both and others as partners as long as they respect us and understand that we have something to contribute,” the president said.
Furthermore, he urged the west to stop whining about China’s influence on the continent and take action to better understand the requirements of Africa in terms of development. China’s purported debt trap for the motherland is one of the Western justifications for opposing China’s economic cooperation with African nations.
African nations currently owe three times as much to Western institutions as China does, even though China’s debt to the continent is still growing. The president of Rwanda, Paul Kagame, also addressed the issue of debt, emphasizing that, in his view, Africa bears some of the blame for China’s increasing debt to the continent because of its excessive borrowing. He acknowledged that to resolve the debt issue, Africa would need to reduce its borrowing from China.
