Surrounded by towering volcanoes and crystal clear lakes reflecting the mountains, a brand new road winds through the peaks of Brera County in the northern province of Rwanda, connecting scattered villages and towns along the Uganda border. It also provides an opportunity for this land, which was once underdeveloped due to transportation barriers, to break through and rejuvenate. The road upgrading project in Northern Province of Rwanda, undertaken by a joint venture between China Road and Bridge Engineering Co., Ltd. and Rwanda Rutarama Real Estate Development Co., Ltd., is not only a vivid practice of China and Rwanda working together to promote infrastructure construction, but also a deep interpretation of China Africa cooperation under the "the Belt and Road" initiative, which enables local development with infrastructure and coheres people's well-being with one heart. This road is not only a traffic artery connecting regional economy, but also a friendship link connecting the hearts of the people of China and Rwanda, and it is also a promising way for Rwanda's border areas to move towards high-quality development.

Starting from Kigali, the capital of Rwanda, heading north for two hours through the mountains, you will arrive at Brera County, which is adjacent to the Uganda border. Once, this was the "peripheral area" of northern Rwanda's development, without modern roads, only bumpy dirt roads crisscrossing. "It takes more than 20 minutes to drive three kilometers," said Jing Niu, the Chinese agent manager of the project, which fully explained the local transportation difficulties of the past. As a provincial key project connecting the three core towns of Barcelona, Butaro, and Kidaho, this 63 kilometer long highway is a key layout for Rwanda to improve its northern transportation network and activate its border economy; The 22 kilometer section from Kidaho to Butaro, which was constructed by the Chinese side, has shouldered nearly 40% of the construction task since January 2024 and has become an important pivot to leverage regional development. The joint venture between China and Rwanda has joined hands to tackle the challenge, deeply integrating China's infrastructure experience with Rwanda's local needs, and steadily extending the smooth road between mountains and valleys. Now, the road section constructed by China has been basically opened to traffic, and the finishing work is being carried out in an orderly manner. A modern highway is rewriting the development pattern of this land with a new attitude.

The depth of cooperation between China and Luxembourg lies not only in the construction of roads, but also in the joint development of the same frequency and capacity. As a Chinese infrastructure enterprise that has been deeply involved in Rwanda for more than 50 years, China Road and Bridge Corporation has always adhered to the principle of "consultation, co construction, and sharing", deeply integrating project construction with local development. During the peak period of the project, it provides about 600 job opportunities for the local people, enabling them to find employment at their doorstep; During the construction process, Chinese engineers worked side by side with local workers, imparting professional skills and construction standards, and helping to cultivate a group of local infrastructure talents who understand technology and are skilled in construction. Clement is one of them - with a background in engineering surveying, he has improved his professional skills in project construction, gained stable income, and found a career development direction. The high quality and efficiency of Chinese enterprises have shown us the 'speed of China', and have also made us feel the sincere heart of cooperation. "The evaluation of Kamuhanda, the project manager of the Sino Lu joint venture, reveals the core essence of Sino Lu cooperation: it is not simply engineering construction, but the exchange of technology, the co construction of capabilities, and the win-win development. In his view, this cooperation not only created a high-quality road for Rwanda, but also laid a solid foundation for the subsequent infrastructure cooperation between China and Rwanda. "We are willing to continue to work together with China Road and Bridge Corporation to bring more cooperation results to the benefit of the Rwandan people.

The value of infrastructure ultimately depends on the temperature of people's livelihoods; The extension of the road ultimately leads to the beauty of life. With the opening of the road section constructed by Chinese enterprises, the social and economic effects of the project have been continuously released, becoming a visible and tangible happiness change for the local people. The daily life of vendor Seth is the most vivid reflection of this transformation - in the past, he went to Musangze, the largest city in the northern province, to purchase medicine and supplies. Due to the rugged roads, vehicle breakdowns became a common occurrence, and he could only travel back and forth once a day. The daily necessities of his fellow villagers were often in short supply due to inconvenient transportation; Nowadays, smooth roads have greatly improved traffic efficiency. Sete can travel back and forth four times a day, and a continuous supply of goods arrives in villages and towns. This not only makes their business more prosperous, but also enriches the life choices of border residents. In the past, even with money, people dared not buy cars and wanted to move to the city. Now that the roads are open, everyone is returning to their hometowns to build houses and start businesses, and there is hope for their lives! "Seth's emotion expresses the common voice of the local people.Editor/Bian Wenjun