Prof. Dr. Wang highlighted Rwanda’s strong leadership, strategic planning, and consistent investment in infrastructure and technology as key drivers of its progress.

He noted that Rwanda’s ability to implement long-term national goals with discipline and vision offers valuable lessons for other developing nations.

Speaking during a public lecture in Beijing, Prof. Dr. Wang described Rwanda as a “good student of modernization,” applauding the country’s steady progress in transforming its economy and governance.

“I mean China was also a student of the West in modernization, right? Because they achieved a lot before. So in this regard, I call her (Rwanda) a student. But China learned from the West, and learned too much, maybe,” he explained.

“So what I’m saying is that Rwanda is a good student among African countries. In recent years, it has achieved economic prosperity, I think it goes beyond the Western model,” he added.

Recently, The International Monetary Fund (IMF) praised Rwanda’s economic performance and resilience, following the conclusion of a two-week mission assessing the country’s reform progress under the fifth review of the Policy Coordination Instrument (PCI).

Rwanda recorded an impressive GDP growth rate of 8.9% in 2024, making it one of the fastest-growing economies in sub-Saharan Africa.

Prof. Dr. Wang Yiwei praises Rwanda’s economic growth during his lecture in Beijing.

The growth was fueled by strong performances in agriculture, construction, trade, tourism, transport, and telecommunications sectors. Labour market indicators also improved, with increased participation and a reduction in the unemployment rate.

Inflation remained stable at 4.8% by the end of 2024, within the National Bank of Rwanda’s target range. Thanks to improved food production and effective monetary policy.

Prof. Dr. Wang attributed Rwanda’s development success to “consistent national policies, strong government leadership, and effective cooperation with China.”

He emphasized that for Africa and other countries in the Global South to reach their development goals, they must draw lessons from China’s modernization path, a journey largely driven by firm and visionary government leadership.

“The government owns the land, the resources, everything. It shouldn’t just provide services to the market, but also create the market for modernization. The Western model tells governments to do less and let the market decide. But in poor countries, the market is weak and limited.”

Prof. Dr. Wang emphasizes the importance of strong government leadership in driving modernization in developing countries.

“Like I mentioned, you need to build a swimming pool to train the babies how to swim. Only then can they gradually move to the sea. If you put a baby straight into the sea, they will drown,” Wang said.

According to him, governments needs to build that swimming pool by training the people, training the market, and creating the conditions for development, like building high-speed railways and highways. That’s what strong governments do, and it’s crucial for modernization, especially in developing countries.

Over the past three decades, Rwanda has transformed from one of the continent’s weakest economies to becoming Africa’s fastest-growing, with significant investments in digital innovation, healthcare, education, and urban development.

The government has played a central role in this transformation, actively shaping the economy by building markets through initiatives like smart city development, public-private partnerships, and strategic international cooperation, especially with countries like China.

IMF commends Rwanda’s economic resilience, citing consistent growth in key sectors like agriculture and tourism.

Rwanda’s success in infrastructure and technology investments praised by Chinese scholar Prof. Dr. Wang.