Kagame, for his part, called China a reliable friend who shares weal and woe with Africa. He said it is of great importance for Rwanda and Africa to develop friendly ties with China.

He spoke highly of China's valuable assistance for Rwanda in such areas as infrastructure construction, agriculture and education, adding that China's helping hand has made positive contributions to his country's reconstruction and livelihood improvement.

The Rwandan president also expressed his hope to strengthen exchanges with China on state governance and deepen win-win cooperation on bilateral as well as multilateral platforms.

Rwanda is willing to enhance cooperation with China within the framework of the Belt and Road Initiative, which offers a significant opportunity for both Rwanda and Africa, Kagame said.

As the AU's rotating chairman, Kagame stressed that China's long-standing firm support is of great value to Africa's development.