Head of CPPCC pays official visit to Uganda

The head of China’s top political advisory body, Wang Yang, paid an official visit to Uganda from Wednesday to Saturday, calling for closer cooperation between the two countries.

During his four-day stay in the East African country, Wang, who is chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference, met with Uganda’s President Yoweri Museveni, Speaker of the National Assembly of Uganda Rebecca Kadaga and Vice-President Edward Kiwanuka Ssekandi, and spoke with Prime Minister Ruhakana Rugunda.

In the meeting with Museveni, Wang noted that President Xi Jinping had met with Museveni several times and the two had charted a course for the future development of bilateral ties. Wang welcomed Museveni to attend the Beijing Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation, which will be held in September.

“As the chairman of the CPPCC National Committee, I paid my first visit to Uganda to implement the important consensus reached by both presidents and to promote the development of bilateral ties,” Wang said.

China is currently striving to achieve its “Two Centenary Goals” guided by the Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, while Uganda is committed to its national development plan — Uganda Vision 2040 — Wang said, calling on both countries to dovetail their development strategies and cooperate under the framework of the FOCAC and the Belt and Road Initiative.

Hailing the traditional deeprooted friendship between Uganda and China, Museveni said previous generations of Chinese leadership had always stood together with the Ugandan people in the process of anti-colonial struggles and national independence.

The 10 cooperation projects announced by Xi during the FOCAC Johannesburg Summit in December 2015 have provided new opportunities for Uganda to realize economic transition and medium- and long-term development, Museveni said.

Museveni said he looks forward to meeting Xi during the FOCAC Beijing Summit to draw up a blueprint for a bright future in Africa-China relations.

After the meeting, Wang and Museveni jointly cut the ribbon at a ceremony inaugurating the Kampala-Entebbe expressway. Built by a Chinese company, it is Uganda’s first national highway.

On Saturday, Wang attended the opening ceremony of a local dragon boat race, a traditional event during China’s Dragon Boat Festival holiday, which falls on Monday.