Jessica Alupo hails China as strategic partner in accelerating development

KAMPALA, Uganda | Xinhua | China is a strategic partner in helping Uganda accelerate its development, Ugandan Vice President Jessica Alupo has said.

Alupo made the remarks at a reception hosted by the Chinese Embassy in Kampala on Wednesday to commemorate the upcoming 75th anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic of China.

The vice president said that in addition to the funding China announced for Africa during the recently concluded Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) in Beijing, Uganda also signed partnership agreements with China to boost bilateral trade.

“China is our strategic development partner, and it gives me great pride to see that during the 2024 FOCAC, our relations were elevated,” Alupo said.

She added that Uganda looks forward to working with China to implement the 10 partnership actions for the benefit of Ugandans.

During the FOCAC summit, China unveiled 10 partnership actions to be implemented over the next three years, covering areas such as mutual learning among civilizations, trade prosperity, industrial chain cooperation, connectivity, development cooperation, health, agriculture and livelihoods, people-to-people and cultural exchanges, green development, and common security.

Chinese Ambassador to Uganda Zhang Lizhong said that during the FOCAC summit, China and Uganda confirmed their decision to elevate relations to a comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership based on mutual consensus.

He said that over the years, China has been a critical partner to Uganda, especially in developing the country’s transport and energy infrastructure. China has financed and constructed two major power plants in Uganda, in addition to expanding Entebbe International Airport, the country’s main gateway to the world.

During Wednesday’s event, the outgoing Chinese medical team in Uganda was awarded certificates of service appreciation, and the Confucius Institute at Makerere University was recognized for its 10-year anniversary.

The celebration was attended by high-ranking government officials, members of the diplomatic community, and representatives from the business community, among others. ■