Sino-African unity, cooperation expected to bring more stability

President Xi Jinping holds a welcoming ceremony on Thursday for Kenyan President William Ruto, who is on a state visit to China, before their talks in Beijing. WANG ZHUANGFEI/CHINA DAILY

China and Kenya agreed on Thursday to elevate their ties to a China-Kenya community with a shared future for the new era, vowing to continue to deepen and expand exchanges and cooperation across the board in the face of new circumstances.

The decision was made during talks between President Xi Jinping and Kenyan President William Ruto, who arrived in Beijing on Tuesday night for a five-day visit, his third state visit to China since taking office in 2022.

The two heads of state witnessed the signing of 20 cooperation documents in areas such as the Belt and Road Initiative, new and high technology, people-to-people and cultural exchanges, economy and trade, and media.

In a joint statement released after the talks, the two sides expressed firm opposition to new hegemonic tools such as unlawful unilateral sanctions, decoupling, tariff barriers and technology blockades, and they stressed their commitment to bringing more stability to the world with the certainty of China-Africa unity and cooperation.

During the meeting, Xi told Ruto that the upgrading of bilateral relations is a strategic choice for both sides.

"In the face of a complex and changing international landscape, China is willing to work together with Kenya to be in line with the trend of history and the times, to create a model for building an all-weather China-Africa community with a shared future for the new era, and to lead the development of China-Africa relations and the solidarity and cooperation of the Global South," he said.

Since China and Kenya established diplomatic relations in 1963, bilateral ties have witnessed progress in various fields including trade and economy, culture, education and tourism.

Today, China is Kenya's largest trading partner and the biggest source of its imports, while Kenya is China's biggest trading partner in East Africa.

The Mombasa-Nairobi Standard Gauge Railway in Kenya, a flagship project under the Belt and Road Initiative, has created thousands of jobs for local people and enabled the seamless mobility of people and cargo since its inception in 2017.

Noting that joint building of the Belt and Road has become a shining example of China-Kenya cooperation, Xi urged the two sides to further facilitate regular policy coordination, high-level connectivity, unimpeded and sustainable trade, diversified financial integration, and closer people-to-people ties across generations, thereby serving as pacesetters for advancing high-quality Belt and Road cooperation.

China's supersized market is always open to high-quality Kenyan products, and China encourages more capable Chinese enterprises to invest and start businesses in Kenya, he said.

 

President Xi Jinping shakes hands with Kenyan President William Ruto on Thursday at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing. Xi held talks with Ruto, who started his five-day state visit to China on Tuesday. WANG ZHUANGFEI/CHINA DAILY 

Xi said that China and Kenya, both of which are important nations of the Global South, should take concrete actions to firmly safeguard the international system with the United Nations at its core, and promote global governance that is based on extensive consultation, joint contribution and shared benefit.

He also called on the two countries to practice true multilateralism and advocate an equal and orderly multipolar world and universally beneficial and inclusive economic globalization, thereby advancing the world toward a bright future of peace, security, prosperity and progress.

Xi also reiterated that trade and tariff wars have no winners, and he said that China is not a troublemaker, but will not flinch when trouble comes its way.

China is ready to work with countries around the world to address various challenges through solidarity and cooperation, safeguard their own legitimate rights and interests, uphold international trade rules, and maintain international fairness and justice, Xi said.

Ruto's visit is the first state visit to China by an African head of state since the Beijing Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation in September last year.

Xi told the Kenyan president that China is willing to work together with African countries, including Kenya, to transform the outcomes of the FOCAC summit into more early fruit to better benefit the African people.

Ruto described the Kenya-China relationship as being "deeply rooted in a historic, resilient and all-weather friendship that has endured the test of time".

His country is willing to work hand in hand with China to fully align their economic and social development strategies, strengthen cooperation in trade, investment, infrastructure construction and technology, and enhance exchanges in education, culture and tourism, he said.

Noting that trade wars disrupt existing international rules and order, Ruto said that Kenya appreciates China for its role as a stabilizing force in the current turbulent situation, and for its efforts in safeguarding the legitimate rights and interests of Global South countries.

Kenya is willing to work with China to uphold and practice multilateralism, he added.