Link to Article: https://www.theafricareport.com/68617/rwandan-farmers-take-advantage-of-chinese-opportunities/
With relations between China and Rwanda starting in 2018, many Rwandan farmers have been benefited tremendously by the new trade. Diego Twahirwa, a chilli farmer in Rwanda, has been exporting his produce to China since 2019. Twahirwa signed a life-changing agreement worth $100m with China’s Chinese GK International Enterprises to supply 50,000tn of chilli annually for five years. Similarly, coffee farmers in Rwanda have gained access to China, thanks to China’s richest man, Jack Ma. He jetted to Kigali twice in 2017 and met President Paul Kagame to advance the prospects of accessing the Chinese market for Rwandan entrepreneurs. Among the agreements they signed was one making Rwanda the first African country to join Alibaba’s Electronic World Trade Platform (eWTP).
China upping its trade in Rwanda will help Rwandan farmers gain more money. This could also bring interest to other African countries that want to make money as well. China probably wants to start increasing its trade with other African countries to up its trade around the world. This would give China an advantage with gaining influence in the Middle East. These Rwandan farmers would not want to upset the chinese government because they could take away the money they are making off of their trading agreements. This could eventually take away the American influence and trade in Africa in the future.
The whole sole purpose of international relations is to see how countries work together and why they work together as well. Weather its alliances, deals and or trade. China is not starting trade agreements with Rwanda out of the goodness of their hearts. As we have learned, no country does anything for free. China must have some sort of other deal with Rwanda besides gaining coffee and chili powder, because China could trade with any country, so why Rwanda? I think China wants to get its foot more in the door in Africa so they can gain more control and influence across the continent.