President William Ruto is set to depart from the country for China tonight for a series of high-level engagements aimed at boosting relations with one of the world's leading economic powerhouses.
In a statement released by State House Spokesperson Hussein Mohammed, the visit is meant to build on the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, which Kenya and China established in 2017. Since that time, China has emerged as one of Kenya's most important partners.
While in Beijing, President Ruto is expected to hold bilateral talks with President Xi Jinping, with discussions expected to centre around economic transformation, sustained development and other shared priorities.
Also in President Ruto's itinerary during his visit is presiding over the Kenya-China Business Forum. This engagement will bring together more than 100 companies from both nations to foster fresh investment opportunities in trade, digital information, manufacturing and industrial growth.
Notably, the forum comes at a critical time for Kenya, especially since the country is seeking to diversify its markets to reduce the over-reliance on traditional markets.
Ruto will also make a stop at Fujian Province—one of China’s major tea-producing regions—where he will inaugurate the Kenya Tea Holding Centre. This move is expected to elevate the profile of Kenyan tea in Asia.
“The Centre will enhance the visibility and market access of Kenyan tea, support smallholder farmers, and strengthen Kenya’s trade footprint in Asia,” Hussein said in his statement. If everything goes according to plan, Kenya's tea could tap into the rich Chinese market, boosting exports.
In what will be a busy week for Ruto, he is also expected to deliver a keynote address at Peking University. His speech will focus on Africa’s aspirations for inclusive growth, youth empowerment, and South-South cooperation.
According to the State House, Kenya and China are also set to realign their Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) cooperation to better suit Nairobi's development priorities to transform the city's economic landscape. Part of the realignment will entail efforts to establish Kenya as a leading industrial and logistics hub for East Africa.
Away from trade and development, the president is also expected to engage Chinese leadership on a range of other issues in the geopolitical scene, including in neighbouring countries where Kenya is a key stakeholder in mediation talks.
Ruto's trip to China comes at an interesting time, especially with the Asian superpower embroiled in an intense trade war with the United States.
The latest twist in the economic tiff between China and the US saw China warn nations against making deals with Donald Trump at the expense of Beijing.
In a statement on Monday, April 21, the Chinese Commerce Ministry warned of countermeasures should any country fall for the US's coercion.
