Uganda has intensified its push to attract Chinese investment into agriculture and industry, with officials calling for practical partnerships and faster implementation of projects during the Uganda–China (Changsha) Agricultural Trade and Investment Forum.
The high-level forum, convened by the Uganda Embassy in Beijing in Hunan Province, brought together government officials, investors, and business leaders to explore opportunities in agro-industrialisation, trade, and technology transfer.
Opening the forum, Uganda’s Ambassador to China, Oliver Wonekha, underscored the importance of translating strong diplomatic ties into real economic outcomes.
“Today’s Forum is designed to translate our strong diplomatic relations into practical investment partnerships and trade opportunities,” Wonekha said.
“Our shared objective is clear: to transform today’s dialogue into concrete projects, enduring partnerships, and meaningful business cooperation that will benefit both our peoples and economies.”
Wonekha described Uganda–China relations as long-standing and mutually beneficial, strengthened under global cooperation frameworks.
“These frameworks have enabled us to translate strong political goodwill into tangible economic cooperation—expanding trade, strengthening industrial partnerships, facilitating technology transfer, and deepening people-to-people exchanges,” she noted.
She pointed to growing engagement with Hunan Province, recalling past high-level visits and investment missions that have laid a strong foundation for deeper economic cooperation.
Highlighting Uganda’s development agenda, Wonekha said the forum aligns with national priorities focused on agro-industrialisation.
“Agriculture remains the backbone of Uganda’s economy, employing the majority of our population and offering immense opportunities for value addition, agro-processing, mechanisation, logistics, and agribusiness partnerships,” she said.
She urged participants to actively engage and seize the opportunity to build partnerships.
“I encourage all participants to listen closely, ask questions, and actively engage in the discussions that will follow,” she added.
Officials from Hunan Province echoed the call for practical cooperation, emphasizing Uganda’s investment potential.
Second-Class Inspector at the Hunan Provincial Department of Commerce, Zhou Zhangsheng, told investors that Uganda is positioning itself as a reliable long-term partner.
“Uganda comes to Changsha with a simple message. We are stable, reforming, and open for partnerships built on industrialisation, technology transfer, and trade facilitation,” Zhou said.
He highlighted Uganda’s strategic advantage as a gateway to regional markets.
“Our youthful workforce, expanding manufacturing base, and vast agricultural potential make us a long-term partner for Chinese firms looking at the East African Community and AfCFTA markets,” he said.
Zhou emphasized the scale of opportunity within Uganda’s agricultural sector.
“Why agriculture? It employs two-thirds of our people and contributes about a quarter of GDP. We have 80 percent arable land, but only a third is cultivated. That gap is an opportunity,” he said.
He added that investment in inputs, irrigation, and logistics could transform the sector.
“Modern inputs, irrigation, seed systems, agro-processing, and logistics can move us from subsistence to shipped products,” Zhou noted.
On the investment environment, he assured potential investors of government support and incentives, citing facilitation by the Uganda Investment Authority.
“In short, when you set up processing or manufacturing in Uganda, you can serve regional markets competitively,” he said.
Zhou stressed the need for concrete outcomes from the forum.
“This forum is not a ceremony. Over the next few hours, let’s match Changsha’s strengths in agritech, aquaculture, and processing with Uganda’s land and labour,” he said.
He urged both sides to commit to actionable agreements.
“I encourage our agencies to leave with MOUs that clearly define sites, volumes, and timelines, along with a 90-day action checklist,” Zhou added.
Ugandan entrepreneurs were also challenged to present viable investment proposals.
“To Ugandan entrepreneurs here, come ready to present bankable deals… To our Changsha partners, share knowledge, not just equipment,” he said.
Wonekha reaffirmed Uganda’s readiness to support investors through its diplomatic mission.
“The Embassy of the Republic of Uganda in Beijing remains fully committed to supporting all partners present here today… We stand ready to facilitate follow-up engagements and assist enterprises interested in establishing investments,” she said.
She concluded with a call for action and long-term commitment.
“Let March 19 be remembered as the day we moved from handshake to harvest, from feasibility to the factory floor,” Wonekha said.
The forum comes as Uganda seeks to leverage improved market access, including China’s zero-tariff policy on selected African exports, to boost agricultural exports, industrialisation, and job creation.
