China, Kenya
agree to bolster relations
http://europe.chinadaily.com.cn/world/2013-08/20/content_16905717.htm
By ZHAO SHENGNAN and
ZHAO YANRONG (China
Daily)
Measures to increase imports and promote bilateral trade to
continue
China and
Kenya
elevated their relations to a comprehensive partnership and signed eight
documents to boost cooperation on Monday, as both sides' top leaders met for
the first time since they took office.
The agreements cover several sectors including economic
cooperation, infrastructure, people-to-people exchanges, finance, environmental
protection and new energy.
Calling China
and Africa a community of destiny, President Xi Jinping said China firmly
supports African countries' independent development and wants to continue
playing a constructive role in the continent's stability and development.
Xi made the remarks when meeting Kenyan President Uhuru
Kenyatta, who is in China
from Sunday to Friday for his first state visit outside Africa
since taking office in April.
Before the meeting, Xi, who made the African continent part
of his first foreign trip after taking office as president in March, welcomed
Kenyatta with a 21-gun salute outside Beijing's
Great Hall of the People.
Xi congratulated Kenyatta on his election victory, saying, "I
believe, given your vigor and vitality, you should be able to lead the Kenyan
people in registering even greater accomplishments on the road ahead toward
your national development."
China
would like to continue measures to increase imports from Kenya and
promote a balanced growth of bilateral trade, the president said.
He urged both sides to strengthen cooperation in special
economic zone construction, agriculture, wildlife protection and fighting
cross-border crime.
Kenyatta said his country, which is committed to realizing
industrialization and improving people's living conditions, wants to learn from
China's
development, as the two countries share similar historical experiences and
visions for the future.
China has
become Kenya's
largest source of foreign direct investment and second-largest trade partner.
By June, China's cumulative
direct investment in Kenya
had reached $474 million. The bilateral trade volume reached $2.84 billion last
year.
Kenya, an
important bond between China
and Africa, also hopes China,
"a strong and true friend", will play a bigger role in promoting Africa's peace and prosperity, said Kenyatta.
The East African country is one of the most popular African
destinations for Chinese tourists, having the largest number of Confucius
Institutes on the continent, and is a major center for broadcasting and
reporting by Chinese media.
In 2012, some 41,000 tourists from China visited Kenya,
an increase of 10.4 percent compared with 2011, while Nairobi
is trying to tap the potential in China to realize the target of 5
million tourists annually.
Kenyatta's choice of Beijing,
which is fast becoming his country's biggest economic engine, speaks volumes
about China's growing
presence in Kenya,
The Washington Post said on Sunday.
Xu Weizhong, an expert on African studies at the China
Institutes of Contemporary International Relations, said the potential of
China-Kenya cooperation, which is mutually beneficial, is huge.
Kenya is
one of the fastest developing countries in Africa
and it has strong growth in various sectors, particularly in industry and
agriculture. This provides a good platform to develop further cooperation for
the two countries, he said.
"Kenya's
location is very important in the region, and the country has one of the best
airline companies in Africa. Cooperating with Kenya can help Chinese investors enter a much
bigger market in East Africa," Xu added