Rwandan President Paul Kagame and Alibaba Group Executive Chairman Jack Ma unveil the plague of the eWTP hub in the Rwandan capital, Kigali. [Photo/Xinhua]

Rwandan government and Alibaba Group, China's biggest e-commerce company, launched the first electronic world trade platform (eWTP) on Oct 31 in Africa meant to promote trade and tourism between Rwandan and Chinese consumers.

Rwandan President Paul Kagame and Alibaba Group Executive Chairman Jack Ma officially launched the eWTP hub in the Rwandan capital, Kigali.

The eWTP will strengthen Rwanda's economy by promoting trade and tourism between Rwanda and Chinese consumers, according to Rwanda Development Board (RDB).

Under the agreement, Alibaba Group will work with the Rwanda Development Board to help Rwandan small and medium enterprises (SMEs) to sell their products, including coffee and handicrafts, to Chinese consumers through Alibaba's online marketplaces, it said.

According to RDB, Alibaba Group travel services platform, Fliggy, and the RDB will also work together to promote Rwanda as a tourist destination through a Rwanda tourism store for booking flights, hotels and travel experiences.

This is the second such platform to be launched outside China, the first having been launched in Malaysia last year.

Speaking at the launch, Jack Ma said setting up eWTP hub in Rwanda attracted a lot of negative opinions but he remained committed that Rwanda was the right place.

According to him, people said how Rwanda could host eWTP hub without sophisticated internet, logistics, market, payment and all the other related things.

"I said this is why we came here. When other people complain, we take this as opportunity and today's Africa is much better than the 90 years ago China," he said.

"I am delighted that Rwanda is the first partner in Africa. I look forward to the development of an innovative digital economy here," he added.

Speaking at the same event, Kagame reiterated that Rwanda greatly values the growing relationship with the Chinese private sector and Alibaba Group in particular.