We will make China-Kenya partnership more strategic

On December 14, 1963, China and Kenya established diplomatic relationship. Over the past 60 years, our two peoples have forged fraternity, our bilateral relations have yielded fruits and our two countries have become good friends and trusting partners, setting an example for China-Africa relations and South-South cooperation.

We have pursued sincere friendship and equality. We respect each other, see each other as equals and get along well. China may do what it can to help Kenya’s development but is truly grateful to the government and people of Kenya for the great support and selfless help given to it over the years.

We have pursued win-win programmes for mutual benefit and common development. Major cooperation projects—such as the Moi International Sports Centre (MISC) Kasarani, the standard gauge railway (SGR), the Nairobi Expressway and the GTC in Nairobi—have benefited our two peoples.

We have pursued fairness and justice. We both uphold the purposes and principles of the UN Charter. We both oppose intervention in domestic affairs, racial discrimination, unilateral sanctions and hegemonism. China will never forget Kenya’s invaluable support in the restoration of the lawful rights of the People’s Republic of China in the United Nations back in 1971 and highly appreciates its firm commitment to the One China principle.

We have pursued progress with the times and openness and inclusiveness. At every critical juncture of China-Kenya relations, both sides have managed to identify new points of alignment and growth areas for mutually beneficial cooperation, raising bilateral relations to new heights.

Last October, President William Ruto attended the third Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation in China. President Xi Jinping and President Ruto had a friendly and in-depth exchange of views and reached important common understandings on the future development of our bilateral relations.

China stands ready to work with Kenya to implement the important common understandings reached between our Presidents, take the 60th anniversary as a new starting point to explore a distinctive path of cooperation in our respective pursuit of national development and rejuvenation, continuously enrich our comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership and jointly build an even closer China-Kenya community with a shared future in the new era.

China is committed to forging a more comprehensive partnership with Kenya. China supports Kenya’s independent exploration of its own path of modernisation in line with the country’s actual situation and is ready to carry out exchanges of experience in governance with Kenya and step up support to each other.

China is committed to forging a more strategic partnership with Kenya. It views and grows the relations from a strategic height and supports Kenya in playing a greater role in regional and international affairs. It stands ready to work with Kenya to jointly act on true multilateralism, defend the central role of the UN in international affairs and safeguard the common interests of developing countries.

China is committed to forging a more cooperative partnership with Kenya. It will face squarely and sincerely the new developments and new problems that confront China-Kenya relations and appropriately handle any problems that arise in the spirit of mutual respect and win-win cooperation, so as to enable Kenya to gain more from the cooperation. We sincerely hope that Kenya will provide the corresponding conditions necessary for Chinese enterprises and citizens to engage in the cooperation.

Let us work hand in hand to open up even brighter prospects for China-Kenya relations.

- Dr Zhou is the Ambassador of China to Kenya. [email protected].