China has had a long standing relationship with Uganda, dating back 56 years.
On October 18, 1962, Uganda and China established diplomatic ties that would steer mutual cooperation between the two countries.
The established projects China has helped Uganda to set up include the Kibimba and Doho Rice Schemes, the Kampala Ice Plant, methane-generating pits, the Foodstuff Porcelain Research Center and the National Stadium.
In 2005, the trade volume between the two countries was US$99.37 million, among which China’s export was US$79.37 million, and import US$20 million.
China’s main exports to Uganda are mechanical and electrical appliances, textiles, garments, pharmaceuticals, porcelain and enamel products, and footwear. China’s imports coffee and plastics from Uganda.
But the China-Uganda relationship isn’t all about trade.
The two countries signed a cultural cooperation agreement in June 1985.
In August 1999 China and Uganda signed the 2000-2002 Implementation Program of the Agreement on the Cultural Cooperation between China and Uganda.
There have also been student exchanges between the two countries.
Key projects established with Chinese funding include;
Kibimba Rice Scheme The first ever rice farming in Uganda. Total area 1721 acres. The construction started on February 1973 and was completed in March 1976. It was handed over to the Uganda Government in January 1982.
Entebee-Kampala Expressway: The Entebbe–Kampala Highway is a four-lane toll highway in the Central Region of Uganda, commissioned in June 2018. The highway links Entebbe International Airport, the country’s largest civilian and military airport, to Kampala. The Chinese government, through the Exim Bank of China, provided funding for the road to the tune of US$350 million.
