Rwanda joins Alibaba-led electronic world trade platform amid US-China trade war
- Platform provides small and medium enterprises with infrastructure such as cloud computing, mobile payments and logistics to trade electronically
- Alibaba’s move to open up free trade electronically comes amid an escalating US-China trade war, with billions of dollars in tariffs slapped on goods
Rwanda has become the first African nation to join the Alibaba Group Holding-led electronic world trade platform (EWTP) initiative, following similar initiatives in Southeast Asia as the Chinese e-commerce firm seeks to expand digital trade globally.
Jack Ma, the executive chairman of Alibaba, and Rwandan President Paul Kagame on Wednesday signed agreements to bring the country on board the digital trading platform, which will provide small and medium enterprises with infrastructure such as cloud computing, mobile payments and logistics to trade electronically and sell their products outside Rwanda.
As part of the agreements, Alibaba has also pledged to help small and medium-sized enterprises in Rwanda sell their products, such as coffee beans, on its online marketplaces.
“I am delighted that Rwanda is the first EWTP partner in Africa, and I look forward to the development of an innovative digital economy here,” said Ma, praising Rwanda’s ability to embrace change.
“Entrepreneurs in Rwanda, and elsewhere in Africa, are ready to seize the opportunities offered by the digital economy. It is up to all of us to help them succeed.”
