Yang Jiechi, President Kenyatta discuss bilateral ties between Kenya and China

Yang Jiechi said, President Xi Jinping and President Kenyatta have met several times and ushered the China-Kenya Comprehensive Strategic Cooperative Partnership into a new era.

On 4 September local time, Yang Jiechi, Special Representative of President Xi Jinping, Member of the Political Bureau of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC), and Director of the Office of the Foreign Affairs Commission of the CPC Central Committee, met with President Uhuru Kenyatta of Kenya in Nairobi.

Yang Jiechi conveyed President Xi Jinping's cordial greetings to Kenyatta. Yang Jiechi said, President Xi Jinping and President Kenyatta have met several times and ushered the China-Kenya Comprehensive Strategic Cooperative Partnership into a new era. China is willing to avail the opportunity of building the Belt and Road Initiative and the implementation of the outcomes of the Beijing Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC), to help Kenya achieve the Vision 2030 and the Big Four Agenda so as to push China-Kenya and China-Africa relations to a new level.

Yang Jiechi said the practical cooperation between China and Kenya has achieved remarkable results. The Mombasa-Nairobi Standard Gauge Railway (SGR)is running well, and the first phase of the Nairobi-Malaba Railway is about to open. China expresses its congratulations on this result. China is willing to work closely with Kenya to ensure the safe and efficient operation of the SGR and to support the Kenyan side in developing the economic belt and industrial park along the Railway. In this way, it may unleash the maximum of economic and social benefits of the railway, and better serve the people of the two countries and regional countries. China is willing to strengthen coordination and cooperation with Kenya in international and regional affairs, and jointly safeguard multilateralism, international fairness and justice and the common interests of developing countries.

Kenyatta asked Yang Jiechi to convey his cordial greetings to President Xi Jinping and thanked China for its selfless help in Kenya's economic and social development. Kenyatta said that Kenya and African countries are willing to implement the outcomes of the Beijing Summit of the FOCAC, and further deepen practical cooperation in various fields. China is committed to mutually beneficial cooperation with Africa. Such cooperation is welcomed by African countries. Kenya is committed to firmly upholding multilateralism, free trade, and the international trading system.

On the same day, Yang Jiechi also met with the Secretary of Foreign Affairs of Kenya Monica Juma.

(With Inputs from APO)