China and Rwanda established diplomatic relations on November 12, 1971, and the friendly and cooperative relations between the two countries have developed smoothly since then. President Xi Jinping paid a state visit to Rwanda in July 2018. President Paul Kagame attended the Beijing Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation in September 2024.

In May 1983, China and Rwanda signed an agreement on the establishment of a mixed committee for economic, technical and trade cooperation, and nine mixed committee meetings have been held so far. The projects assisted by China to Rwanda mainly include: National Stadium, Kibungo Hospital, etc. In 2024, the bilateral trade volume was 4.76 billion yuan.

In February 1982, the governments of China and Rwanda signed a protocol on China sending medical teams to Rwanda. So far, China has sent 24 medical teams, and there are currently 15 medical team members in Rwanda.

China and Rwanda have close cultural exchanges, and the two countries' art troupes have frequently visited each other. China's Chengdu Puppet Theater, Fujian Art Troupe, Tianjin Art Troupe, Liaoning Song and Dance Troupe, Xinjiang Song and Dance Troupe and others have visited Rwanda for performances. Rwanda's National Song and Dance Troupe and National Art Troupe have performed in China one after another.

Since 1976, China has provided scholarships to Rwanda every year, including more than a dozen majors such as science and engineering, agriculture, water conservancy, architecture, chemical engineering, and textiles. In June 2009, China held a plaque unveiling ceremony at the Confucius Institute in Rwanda.