Rwanda has used the China International Import Expo (CIIE) to showcase its products as it intensifies efforts to diversify its exports.

The country is one the 172 nations participating at the exhibition, which ends today (November 10)

The exhibition attracted more than 3,600 enterprises.

Rwanda was represented by the National Agricultural Export Development Board (NAEB), Utexrwa, C&H Garments, and Urumuri handcrafts.

The Shanghai exhibition is seen as China’s strategy to enhance its trade ties with the rest of the world.

This came just days after the Rwandan government launched a partnership with China’s Alibaba Group to market its tourism opportunities as well as sell its products on the company’s trading platform.

"The expo was a good opportunity to showcase Rwandan products, especially handcraft, textile and coffee,” said Samuel Abikunda, the economic attaché at the Rwandan embassy in China.

He added that coffee products that NAEB brought were sold out on the first day.

"It was a good opportunity to further promote our products, following the deal signed with Alibaba to bring Made-in-Rwanda products in the Chinese market through Alibaba platforms.”

Abikunda said that Rwanda is planning to participate in other events in China to promote local products.

One of the events is the International Horticultural Exhibition, which will be held in Beijing from April 29 to October 7, 2019.

China’s President, Xi Jinping said on Monday that the expo was part of China’s deliberate effort to support trade liberalisation, and economic globalisation and actively open up its market to the world.

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