Rwanda, a landlocked country in East-Central Africa, has actively participated in the China International Import Expo for six consecutive years.

The driving force behind Rwanda's unwavering commitment to the CIIE lies in the concrete advantages the country has reaped from its engagement with the Chinese market through the expo.

Rwanda's pavilion at the second CIIE. [Photo/CIIE Bureau]

Rwanda is known for its abundant production of chili peppers, with its Habanero chili ranking among the spiciest globally. However, due to its intense heat and limited local consumption capacity, Rwandan chili peppers have often faced challenges in finding reliable markets.

The CIIE has opened up new avenues for Rwandan chili peppers. Following the inaugural CIIE, the Rwanda Development Board signed a memorandum of cooperation with a Chinese retail giant to promote Rwandan local products in China. This initiative led to a breakthrough for Rwandan chili peppers, which quickly gained popularity in the Chinese market, even becoming a popular item during the Chinese New Year.

Additionally, chili oil and dried chili peppers from the country also gained popularity at the expo, with orders for $2 million worth of chili oil at the first CIIE and 17 metric tons of dried chili peppers at the fourth CIIE.

Besides chili peppers, Rwandan coffee and tea have also emerged as standout products at various editions of the CIIE.

One of the country's coffee brands, Gorilla's Coffee, made its debut at the CIIE in 2018. "The CIIE is an open platform that promotes trade and opportunities for sharing," said David Ngarambe, chief executive officer of Gorilla's Coffee.

Since participating in the CIIE, the company's sales in the Chinese market have continuously grown, leading to the development of several commercial partnerships and further integration into the international market.

Rwanda Mountain Tea Ltd made its debut at the second CIIE, where it reached a partnership agreement with a Chinese import-export trader to introduce its full range of seven premium tea drinks to China, selling them on e-commerce platforms.

With the Rwandan government actively promoting high-quality products like avocados to enter the Chinese market, future CIIE editions are expected to showcase even more high-quality Rwandan products.

By Zhao Guangmei

Sources: People's Daily, Xinhua News Agency, people.cn, CCTV News, Beijing Daily, Economic Herald, China Today, Cankao Xiaoxi, Shanghai Observer, The Paper, Knews, Chinafrica, China-Africa Economic and Trade Research Institute, China-Africa Trade Research Center, beijingreview.com.cn, hangzhou.com.cn, official websites of related companies