President Williams Ruto has moved to deepen Kenya's bilateral ties with China after he stated that he will secure better deals from Beijing.
The President was speaking on Tuesday, October 18 at State House, Nairobi, when he received the Chinese Ambassador to Kenya Dr Zhou Pingjian who also conveyed a message of goodwill from President Xi Jinping.
The two leaders agreed on deals in development partnership with a focus on trade, infrastructure, agriculture and water.
"Our manifesto gives us a roadmap on areas that we can engage in as we expand partnership of development cooperation,” said President Ruto.
The president further stated that his leadership was keen on fostering and expanding cooperation between the two countries for the mutual benefit of the people.
The meeting came after Ruto held eight successful meetings with the US Ambassador to Kenya Meg Whitman, last month, who urged him to offer Washington and Beijing equal opportunities.
Before President Uhuru Kenyatta left office, Kenya signed six bilateral trade deals with China where the two nations resolved to address trade barriers and imbalance.
During the talks, Kenya resolved to export its products to China and improve the economic standard of the people.
Kenya has been seeking to export Agricultural products such as avocados as China seeks to improve development in African Countries.
Nairobi and China continue to enjoy a cordial relationship, with the Asian Tiger seen to be on a charm offensive to win Africa through partnerships.
China has financed a number of mega infrastructural projects in Kenya, including the Standard Gauge Railway - SGR.
Currently, the terms of Beijing’s loan deals with developing countries are usually secretive and require borrowing nations to prioritise repayment to Chinese state-owned banks ahead of other creditors.
Prior to the August General election, President Ruto while campaigning for the presidency pledged to review Kenya's relations with China, accusing the Asian nation of burdening Kenya with credit facilities.
However, in what seems to be a tactical move to win China, the president is keen on deepening the ties and ironing out sticky issues.
