President William Ruto on Monday restated Kenya’s commitment to diplomatic ties with China which stretch over 60 years.
The president, when receiving credentials of the newly posted Chinese envoy Guo Haiyan, said Kenya will keep strengthening her cordial relations with China.
President Ruto said Nairobi will continue with the ties, focusing on infrastructure development, trade and investment and collaborating in climate change mitigation.
“We will also continue working together under the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation to accelerate economic growth and mutual benefit for our two nations,” President Ruto said at State House, Nairobi.
“Our best wishes to the new envoy as we pursue mutually-beneficial cooperation between our two countries,” the President said.
Haiyan, who arrived in the country on January 6, 2025, took over from Zhou Pingjian whose tenure ended in December after a successful four years.
She is the 18th envoy since Kenya established diplomatic relations with China 61 years ago.
On her arrival, Haiyan “assured that she’s ready to work closely with the Kenyan government and people, to deepen traditional friendship between the two countries, and further promote the practical cooperation for the benefit of two peoples.”
Among Haiyan’s immediate assignments would be to work with the President Ruto administration to steer the implementation of the outcomes of last year’s FOCAC meeting in Beijing.
The meeting held in September last year culminated in the adoption of the FOCAC-Beijing Action Plan (2025-27).
The action plan, which outlines a comprehensive roadmap for future cooperation, covers vital sectors such as trade, infrastructure, health, agriculture, green development, and security.
The sectors are viewed as crucial to Kenya’s development goals that align with President Ruto’s Bottom-Up Economic Transformation Agenda.
FOCAC led to an agreement that China would grant Kenya’s agricultural produce greater access to the Chinese market.
It also reached new levels of cooperation on infrastructure development, with plans to expand Kenya’s Standard Gauge Railway (SGR) and other key infrastructure projects such as the Rironi-Mau Summit-Malaba dual carriageway.
Kenya views the projects as poised to enhance further Kenya’s role as a transport and logistics hub in Eastern Africa.
Also on transport, the two sides agreed on the construction of 15 rural roads through a credit facility agreement with China Development Bank.
The aim is to promote rural connectivity further, create jobs, and improve market access for Kenyan farmers and traders.
Kenya and China also agreed on a regional China-Africa Development Fund to enhance public-private partnerships.
Kenya’s foreign ministry earlier spoke of plans to establish a regional fund office in Nairobi to deepen collaborations on infrastructure, manufacturing and trade.
At the end of his term, former Ambassador Zhou Pingjian was praised for significant contributions to strengthen bilateral ties between Kenya and China.
Under his watch, Kenya played significant roles in the Belt and Road Initiative and chaired sessions at the Beijing summit last year.
Prior to his reassignment to Nairobi, Pingjian was Chinese ambassador to Nigeria until 2020.
by MOSES ODHIAMBO
