Kenyan President William Ruto began a five-day state visit to Beijing on Tuesday, at the invitation of his Chinese counterpart, Xi Jinping. This is the first official visit of an African leader to China since the 2024 Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) summit.

This high-level diplomatic trip includes a busy agenda: a bilateral meeting with Xi Jinping, an official welcome ceremony and banquet, as well as meetings with Prime Minister Li Qiang and Zhao Leji, Chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress.

The relationship between China and Kenya, which has intensified over the decades, is now based on a global strategic partnership. China remains Kenya's main trading partner, and Nairobi has, in turn, become Beijing's main partner in East Africa.

A key symbol of this cooperation is the Mombasa–Nairobi railway line. This 472-kilometer corridor, inaugurated in 2017, has already transported over 14.8 million passengers and 38.47 million tons of goods. It represents the tangible impact of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) on the country’s infrastructure.

But the ties between the two nations go beyond transportation. Agriculture, education, technological innovation: China has also committed to developing Kenya’s human capital through university scholarships, joint research centers, and technological partnerships.

President Ruto now wishes to expand this framework of cooperation to include innovation, digital technologies, and renewable energy. Beijing is seen by Nairobi as a key partner in achieving its goals of ecological transition and economic transformation.

Article source:africanews