President Museveni on Wednesday bid farewell to the outgoing Chinese Ambassador to Uganda, Zhang Lizhong, during a courtesy call at his country home in Kisozi, Gomba District.
President Museveni congratulated Ambassador Zhang upon completing his tour of duty and wished him well in his next assignment.
‘I wish you well in your next assignment,’ the President said.
Museveni praised the continued strengthening of bilateral relations between Uganda and China, noting a steady growth in trade and cooperation.
‘I am happy to note that Uganda’s exports to China have increased to $138 million, although this is still not enough and we should be able to do much more,’ he said.
The President welcomed China’s decision to remove taxes on Ugandan exports, saying the move would significantly boost trade and support wealth creation efforts.
‘Regarding Chinese investments in Uganda, we have been supporting Chinese interests for a long time, and we shall continue to do so,’ Museveni added.
On his part, Ambassador Zhang thanked President Museveni and the Ugandan government for the cooperation and support extended to him during his tenure.
Early this week, Ugandan officials said Ambassador Zhang’s term helped push Uganda-China relations to their strongest level in six decades, marked by major infrastructure projects and deepening strategic cooperation.
Zhang assumed office in Kampala in 2021 at the height of the Covid-19 pandemic and is expected to return to Beijing at the end of January after serving for four years and seven months.