The Chinese Ambassador to Rwanda, Gao Wenqi, and a high-level Chinese delegation visited the offices of Kigali Today (KT) Ltd on Friday morning as part of the embassy’s efforts to strengthen support and collaboration with the media in Rwanda.
The visit also focused on finding new ways to deepen cooperation and raise awareness about opportunities that strengthen connections between the people of China and Rwanda.
KT’s Managing Director, Dan Ngabonziza, welcomed Ambassador Wenqi and his delegation, giving them a guided tour of KT’s departments, including the offices, studios, and newsroom located at the CHIC Building in Kigali.
The delegation included senior officials from the Chinese Embassy — Director Zhang Xiaohong and Jin Hong — as well as a team from the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences (CASS), one of the Chinese Communist Party’s key research think tanks.
The CASS team included:
- LIAO Fan, Director-General, Institute of World Economics and Politics (IWEP), CASS
- WANG Yongzhong, Director, Division of International Commodities, IWEP, CASS
- CHEN Zhaoyuan, Deputy Director, Division of Global Governance, IWEP, CASS
- XU Yanzhuo, Research Fellow, Division of Foreign Policy Analysis, IWEP, CASS
- YANG Meijiao, Research Fellow, Division of Xi Jinping Thought on Diplomacy, IWEP, CASS
During the visit, the delegation was briefed on Kigali Today’s journey — how it has grown from a small group of ambitious journalists into one of the leading media houses in Rwanda.
KT also explained how collaboration with the Chinese Embassy has helped the company train journalists, acquire equipment, and report more deeply on Rwanda–China relations.
Ambassador Wenqi said the embassy is considering additional capacity-building and exchange programs for Rwandans under President Xi Jinping’s Global Multicultural Approach, a South-South Cooperation model that promotes coexistence and mutual learning among different civilizations.
Chinese Ambassador to Rwanda, Gao Wenqi
“As members of the global South-South Cooperation, we need the media to amplify our voices so that they are heard,” Ambassador Wenqi said. “We also need to build stronger linkages between Rwanda and the Chinese Communist Party’s strategies. There are many opportunities in aligning these strategies.”
LIAO Fan, Director-General, Institute of World Economics and Politics (IWEP), CASS
LIAO Fan asked the KT administration to share the challenges and opportunities that could help the media house achieve its growth ambitions.
Established by a small team of ambitious journalists, the company has grown into a multi-platform media house that operates KT Press, KT Radio, KT YouTube channels, Kigalitoday.com, and a range of digital and social media platforms.
KT’s Managing Director, Dan Ngabonziza (Left)
Ngabonziza told the delegation that the media industry as a whole is facing similar challenges, especially around sustainability in a rapidly changing technological environment.
He noted that KT Media Group is prepared to face these challenges by working closely with its partners, including the Chinese Embassy.
Photos: Eric Ruzidana
