China and Kenya announced they had upgraded ties to a “new level” on Thursday during a meeting between President Xi Jinping and Kenyan President William Ruto in Beijing, as they both pledged to create an “all weather” China-Africa community.
Xi said they had agreed to “lead the development of China-Africa relations and unity and cooperation of the Global South,” according to a media pool report.
The decision was made “in the face of a turbulent international situation”, the Chinese president was quoted as saying.
Africa is a key focus of Xi’s ambitious Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), launched in 2013 to extend China’s geopolitical and economic influence through global infrastructure development.
Kenya has been a key BRI recipient, and Nairobi has taken a slew of loans from China to finance infrastructure construction projects that have made China the east African nation’s biggest bilateral lender.
Among the projects, China is helping fund the development of a modern railway line from the port of Mombasa into the hinterland.
Xi and Ruto signed 20 documents together on Thursday, according to a media pool report. These included agreements on science and technology cooperation, vocational education, water resources, ecommerce, intelligent transport systems and the railway sector.
Kenyan officials have been engaging with their Chinese counterparts to secure funds for more projects, including the extension of a railway line to the border with Uganda.
The country has been struggling with a heavy debt load and the accompanying cost of servicing it.
Ruto, who took office in September 2022, has promised that his government will not default on its external debt, pledging to cut waste and boost revenue to tackle the challenge.
It is Ruto’s first state visit to China as president of Kenya.
(Reporting by Liz Lee and Beijing newsroom)
