ApanoramicviewofKigali,capitalofRwanda.InthedistanceisVisionCity,ahousingdevelopmentprojectintheRwandancapitalbuiltbyChinaCivilEngineeringConstructionCorporation.ThenameofthehousingprojecthearkenstotheRwandangovernment’sgreatexpectationsfornationaldevelopment.VCGInRwanda,qualityroadsandcitylandmarksconstructedwiththeassistanceofChinaorbuiltbyChineseenterprisescanbeseeneverywhere.Chineseenterpriseshaveelevatedthelocalinfrastructure,improvedtheurbanenvironmentandlivingconditions,createdjobsforlocals,cultivatedagroupofprofessionalsandspearheadedscientificmanagementmodesintheAfricancountry.
ConstructionAidtoNewVision
LiJianbo,generalmanageroftheRwandaofficeofChinaRoadandBridgeCorporation(CRBC),haslivedinRwandaformorethan20years.Hecallshimselfa“Rwandanlocal”andhasdevelopedgreatattachmenttothisland.
InKigali,thecapitalandlargestcityofRwanda,LiismostproudoftheCRBC-builtroads.Overthepastfourdecades,hiscompanyhasbeencontractedtobuild26projects.ThecumulativelengthofroadsconstructedbyCRBCexceeds1,200kilometers,accountingfornearly70percentofRwanda’stotal.
Aprimeexampleisthe160-kilometerKigali-Rusumoroad,whichwasbuiltin1974.Today,theroadremainsingoodconditionandhasmaintaineditsreputationasa“ModelAfricanRoad.”CRBCalsoreceivedRwanda’sEngineeringQualityAwardandDistinguishedContributiontotheBeautificationofKigaliCityawardfora36-kilometer-longurbanroadupgradeprojectinKigali.
ChinaCivilEngineeringConstructionCorporation(CCECC)arrivedinRwandain1983withaprojecttobuildAmahoroNationalStadium,amajorsportsvenue.Today,thisstadiumremainsthetopchoiceinthecountrytohostimportantsportingandothermajorevents.AbundantadvancedtechnologiesfromChinahavebeenemployedbyCCECCinitswork.Forexample,the20-storyKigaliCityTower,acitylandmarkinwhichthelocalstakepride,wascompletedwithanumberofadvancedtechnologies.WangLei,generalmanagerofCCECCRwandaoffice,tallies30projectsundertakensincethecompanyenteredtheRwandanmarket.
June28,2018:LocalsperformadanceatthelaunchceremonyofadigitalsatelliteTVprojectfromChinatoaidAfricainMusanze,northernRwanda.Thisproject,mainlyimplementedbyStarTimes,hasprovideddigitaltelevisionsignalto10,112villagesin25AfricancountriessinceitkickedoffinAugust2017.courtesyofStarTimesGroupArrivaltoIntegration
Giftedwithexcellentpublicsecurity,goodmanagement,andapleasantenvironment,RwandahasattractedanincreasingnumberofChineseenterprises,includingSTECOLCorporation.
ChenWuqingwasdispatchedtoAfricabySTECOLin2004tooverseethecorporation’sengineeringprojectsinKenya.In2013,thecorporationbeganworkingonthesecond-phaseofaninfrastructureprojectinKigaliSpecialEconomicZoneandhassincebeenactiveinRwanda.
“BecausemostpartsofRwandaaremountainous,thelocalsareusedtomeetingtheirownneeds,”explainsChen.“Almosteveryoneisamason,andtheybuildtheirownhouses.Thelocalsarealsoveryfriendly.Theconditionsforlaborrecruitmentarequitegood.Wetrainedlocalworkersandtaughtthemadvancedtechnicaloperations.Chinesestandardsareadoptedinourprojects,andourhigh-qualityconstructionhaswontrustfromthelocals.”
STECOLisnowworkingonsevenprojectsinRwanda,coveringfieldslikemunicipalengineering,waterconservation,highwaysandhydroelectricprojects.Theseprojectscreatedmanyjobsandcultivatedalargenumberoflocalequipmentoperatorsandtechnicalworkers.
DeniseIngabire,alocalwhowashiredasanexecutivemanagerbySTECOLCorporation,saysthatshestudiedcivilengineeringinChina.Aftergraduation,shereturnedtoKigaliandwaseventuallyhiredbySTECOL.IngabiresaidshewashappytogetthejobsoshecouldusetheknowledgelearnedinChinainhereverydaywork.Theambitiousgirlaimstogainwiderexperienceinthecompanyandmakegreatercontributionstoherowncountry.Atpresent,around870localemployeesworkforSTECOLCorporation,andthatfiguremayjumpashighas3,000duringconstruction.
AccordingtoDuanShengwei,deputygeneralmanagerofthecorporation’sEastAfricabranch,alongsideroadconstruction,hiscompanyalsosendstechnicianstoperformroadmaintenanceaftercompletionandevenhelplocalsrepairroadsthatwerebuiltbyothercompanies.ThecompanycommittedtoanexpansionandupgradeprojectontheNyagatare-Gabiroroad,amajorinternationalarteryconnectingRwanda,UgandaandTanzania.InMay2018,amudslidetriggeredbyarainstormdestroyedaroad50kilometersawayfromtheprojectbase.Thecompanyquicklyrespondedandclearedtheroadknownasa“lifepassage”bylocals.Localgovernment,residents,andmediawereextremelygratefulforthisendeavor.
OnJune6,2018,thecorporationsignedacommercialcontracttoconstructtheNyabarongoIIPowerStation.Thedamwillservefloodcontrolandirrigationfunctionsoncecompleted,and20,000hectaresoffarmlandwillbedevelopedatthelowerreachesoftheNyabarongoRiver.ThisisthelargestprojectintermsofcontractamountinRwandasincethecountrygainedindependencein1962.Completionofthepowerstationwilleasepowershortages,preventfloodsandimproveirrigationoffarmland.
June6,2018:STECOLsignsacommercialcontracttoconstructtheNyabarongoIIPowerStation.ItisthelargestprojectintermsofcontractamountinRwandasincethecountrygainedindependencein1962.courtesyofSTECOLCorporation
AsectionoftheRwanda-BurunditransnationalhighwayprojectconstructedbySTECOLCorporationinwesternRwanda.courtesyofSTECOLCorporationSharingtheWins
InRwanda,Chineseenterprisesco-existanddevelopharmoniouslywithlocals,andactivelyfulfilltheirsocialresponsibilities.
In2015,ChineseentrepreneurMaXiaomeicametoRwandatoestablishagarmentfactoryuponaninvitationfromthelocalgovernment.Herveryfirstrecruitmentdriveattractedmorethan200applicants.Textileisalabor-intensiveindustry,andthelocalgovernmentexpectedtocreatemorejobs.GovernmentalsupportandgoodpublicsecurityinspiredalotofconfidenceinMa.
Rwanda’stextileindustrysuffersfromaweakfoundationandinadequatetechnicalpersonnel.MainvitedseniorChineseandKenyantrainerstoteachherRwandanworkersclothingmanufacturing.Afterathree-monthtrainingprogram,productsbyRwandanworkerswereuptoqualitycheckstandard.
Ma’sinvestmentinRwandaestablishedtheC&Hgarmentfactory,thefirstofitskindinRwanda.TheambitiousChineseentrepreneursethersightsonthebiggergoalof“MadeinRwanda.”Inthepast,Rwandahadreliedonimportingsecond-handclothes.Thus,thegovernmentwasdeterminedtoproducedomesticallymadeclothes,showinggreatenthusiasmfordevelopingthetextileindustry,whichistheprimaryreasontheyinvitedinternationaltextiletradeprofessionalslikeMa.With25yearsofexperienceintextileandgarmentmanufacturing,MalovesAfricaandhopesthatmoreChinesetextileenterpriseswillcometoRwandatoboostitsburgeoningtextileindustry.
StarTimesGroup,withamissionto“sharethebeautyofdigitaltelevisionwithAfrica,”ishighlyinfluentialonthecontinent.Thegroupnowprovides16millionAfricanhouseholdswithinexpensiveandcaptivatingdigitaltelevisionprograms24hoursaday,sevendaysaweek.ThegrouphasopenedanewwindowforAfricanpeopletounderstandtheworldandquicklybecomeaconduitofChina-Africaculturalexchangeandfriendship,drivingAfrica’sparticipationintheBeltandRoadInitiative.
OnAugust26,2008,thelaunchceremonyofStarTimesRwandawasheld.RwandanPresidentPaulKagame,RwandangovernmentofficialsandSunShuzhong,thenChineseambassadortoRwanda,attendedtheceremony.PresidentKagamedeliveredanimportantspeechatthesite,praisingtheprojectandexpoundingonitssignificancetohiscountry.
StarTimesAfricaemploys90percentlocalemployeesacrossallofitsprojects.Theseemployeesareactiveinpostssuchasadministration,businessaffairs,legalaffairsandmarketing.CultivationoflocalprofessionalshassetasolidfoundationforpromotingdevelopmentofdigitaltelevisionaswellastheradioandtelevisionindustryinAfrica.
LocalworkersattheC&HgarmentfactoryinRwanda.byWangXinjun