President William Ruto departed for Beijing, China, on Sunday night for the 9th Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) Summit hosted by Xi Jinping.
This high-profile event, which brings together African Heads of State, Chinese leaders, and the African Union Commission, is aimed at enhancing Sino-African relations and exploring new avenues for collaboration.
The summit's theme, "Joining Hands to Advance Modernisation and Build a High-Level China-Africa Community with a Shared Future," underscores the commitment of both African governments and China to leverage their comparative advantages in fostering industrial and socio-economic development.
The discussions are expected to focus on policies and programs that will contribute to a prosperous future for both regions.
President Ruto has been accorded the honor of co-chairing a critical session on "Pursuing High-Quality Belt and Road Initiative Cooperation: A Platform for Modernisation Featuring Planning, Building, and Benefiting Together." This session will be part of the High-Level Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) event, where Kenya's significant role in the initiative will be highlighted.
Kenya has been a crucial partner in China's Belt and Road Initiative, which has led to transformative infrastructure projects in the country. These include the Standard Gauge Railway (SGR), the Nairobi Expressway, the Kipevu Oil Terminal, and several key bypasses in Nairobi. These projects have been instrumental in advancing Kenya's infrastructure and economic development.
During his visit, President Ruto is scheduled to participate in several high-profile meetings and events aimed at further strengthening Kenya-China relations. The discussions are expected to yield significant benefits for Kenya, including strengthened strategic partnerships, agreements on support for infrastructure development, and the conclusion of talks on new cooperation projects.
President Ruto will also engage in discussions on establishing a pharmaceutical park, a Preferential Trade Agreement (PTA), and an Investment Protection Agreement (IPA). These initiatives aim to expand the scope of collaboration between the two countries.
China remains one of Kenya's largest trading partners, with bilateral trade volumes exceeding $8 billion (KSh. 1.04 trillion) between 2022 and 2023. President Ruto's visit aims to diversify and expand this partnership into new sectors, including agriculture, food security, the creative economy, e-commerce, manufacturing, health, environmental conservation, and financial services. These efforts align with Kenya's Bottom-Up Economic Transformation Agenda and are expected to create job opportunities for Kenyan youth and women.
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Additionally, President Ruto is scheduled to hold a bilateral meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping to discuss ways to strengthen bilateral ties and explore new areas of cooperation between Kenya and China. He will also engage in bilateral meetings with Heads of State and Government from other African countries, including Senegal and Algeria, to foster regional cooperation.
Moreover, the President will attend the China-Africa Entrepreneurs Conference, a key platform for African and Chinese business leaders to explore investment opportunities in sectors such as infrastructure, health, manufacturing, ICT, e-mobility, agriculture, and value addition. He will also meet with major Chinese corporations to pitch for increased investment in Kenya's infrastructure development, healthcare, and technology sectors.
President Ruto's visit to Beijing is expected to mark a new chapter in Kenya-China relations, with the potential to deliver significant economic benefits and development opportunities for Kenya.
