NRM boss Todwong backs China on Taiwan, Hong Kong

KAMPALA — National Resistance Movement (NRM) Secretary General Rt. Hon. Richard Todwong has reaffirmed the party’s support for China’s One-China principle, saying Uganda understands the historical circumstances surrounding Taiwan and Hong Kong and stands with Beijing on the issue.

Todwong made the remarks while receiving Chinese Ambassador to Uganda Wu Guangrong during a courtesy visit to the NRM, where he highlighted the longstanding relationship between the NRM and the Communist Party of China (CPC).

“We support your struggle for One China. We understand the history. We understand the genesis of that. We are with you,” Todwong said.

He added that the NRM understood why Hong Kong and Taiwan were important to China, saying the historical experiences of China and African countries had important similarities.

“We understand why Hong Kong is very dear, and why Taiwan is also very, very dear. We understand all that. Our histories are very similar,” he said.

Todwong said the NRM-CPC relationship had deep historical roots, dating back to the period when African countries were fighting for independence from colonial rule.

“Many may not know that during the colonial times, and when we were struggling for independence, it was China that stood with many African countries to demand independence,” he said.

He also recalled China’s support for Uganda’s efforts to secure a seat on the United Nations Security Council in the early 1970s, saying the historical ties had continued to provide a strong foundation for cooperation between the two parties.

“Our relationship has been a very long-term relationship, and I am really very happy that we have continued to nurture and build on this relationship,” Todwong said.

Todwong’s China experience

Todwong, who studied at Peking University under a programme sponsored by the CPC, said his personal experience in China had given him an opportunity to observe the country’s development trajectory and understand its political and economic transformation.

He said he had written a book titled *China Through My Eyes*, which he has not yet published, based on his experience in the country.

“That is why my colleague is saying that when you visit China, you come with a different perception,” Todwong said.

He praised the CPC for its role in China’s transformation, noting that the party has about 100 million members and governs one of the world’s largest populations.

Todwong said NRM cadres who have visited China had studied how the CPC builds political parties, mentors cadres, develops policies and maintains its relationship with the population.

He particularly praised China’s poverty reduction efforts, saying Uganda had learned important lessons from the country’s experience.

“We especially benefited from how you fought poverty within a short time, with close to 800 million people being lifted out of poverty within a very short time,” he said.

Todwong also cited the Mao Zedong analogy that the relationship between a political party and the masses is like that between fish and water, stressing the importance of keeping political parties closely connected to ordinary citizens.

“We need to be together with the people,” he said.

NRM studying China’s development model

Todwong said the NRM was studying China’s development approach because of its emphasis on ensuring that communities benefit from national progress.

“When I am developed, everything around me must develop. And that is China’s approach,” he said.

He described China’s development model as one that promotes broad-based development and said the NRM was picking lessons from China’s history, its opening up to the world and its emergence as a major global economy.

He also praised the CPC for its continued support to the NRM through party-to-party exchanges, saying the Chinese Embassy had facilitated exchange visits for NRM cadres.

Todwong revealed that about 25 NRM cadres had recently travelled to China under a programme fully funded and sponsored by the CPC.

He said the Chinese side had also supported the NRM in strengthening its media department and digital systems.

“We are extremely grateful for the friendly, cordial relationship that we have,” Todwong said.

He conveyed greetings from NRM National Chairman President Yoweri Museveni to the Chinese delegation and welcomed continued cooperation between the two parties.

Wu pledges to deepen party-to-party ties

Ambassador Wu Guangrong described his meeting with the NRM leadership as a special encounter between “friends, brothers and comrades-in-arms,” citing the longstanding relationship between the CPC and NRM.

“For me, this meeting is not a common meeting. It is a meeting between friends, between brothers and between comrades-in-arms,” Wu said.

He said the CPC and NRM, as well as China and Uganda, had enjoyed close relations based on a solid foundation of political trust.

Under the strategic guidance of President Xi Jinping and President Museveni, Wu said political mutual trust between China and Uganda had continued to deepen, while bilateral cooperation had produced fruitful results.

Wu also outlined the CPC’s ongoing efforts to strengthen party building, improve discipline, fight corruption and enhance governance.

He said the CPC was implementing education aimed at promoting a correct view of political performance, alongside deeper study of Xi Jinping’s Thought on Party Building.

According to Wu, the CPC’s approach focuses on four major areas: strengthening the party’s overall leadership, pursuing full and rigorous self-governance, advancing social transformation through self-reform, and systematically strengthening party building.

He said these efforts were intended to ensure that the CPC remained capable of leading China’s development and national modernisation.

Wu said the CPC’s experience demonstrated the importance of a strong political party in delivering effective governance.

Similarities in governance

The Chinese ambassador also commended the NRM’s efforts to fight corruption, improve work ethics and strengthen engagement with communities.

He noted that the NRM had been working to address cases involving officials who fail to perform their duties or act improperly, saying such efforts were aimed at strengthening public trust.

“In recent years, the NRM has been vigorously advancing its efforts to combat corruption and improve the party’s work style,” Wu said.

He said the NRM’s governance approach and the CPC’s priorities in party building had important areas of convergence.

“Indeed, whether in Africa or in China, good governance relies on a strong party and sound work conduct,” Wu said.

He said the shared experiences of the CPC and NRM provided a strong basis for continued exchanges, mutual learning and deeper party-to-party cooperation.

The meeting underscored the longstanding political relationship between the two parties, with both sides expressing commitment to strengthening cooperation and learning from each other’s experiences.