Interview: Chinese Premier's Visit to Enhance Sino-Kenyan Relations

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Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Sunday, April 28, 2002

Interview: Chinese Premier's Visit to Enhance Sino-Kenyan Relations

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Relations between China and Kenya are warm, and the visit to Kenya by Chinese Premier Zhu Rongji starting on Tuesday will further enhance cooperation between the two countries, Kenya's top diplomat has said.

In an exclusive interview with Xinhua, Marsden Madoka, Kenyan Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, said that bilateral relations between China and Kenya have been constantly improved with the frequent exchanges of high-level visits on both sides. He pointed to the fact that Kenyan President Daniel arap Moi has visited China three times, and Chinese President Jiang Zemin made a reciprocal visit to Kenya in 1996.

"The visits by the two presidents have fostered closer cooperation between the two countries," he said.

"At the international level, the two countries, as members of Group 77 and China, have worked very closely together," the minister noted.

"The relations between the two countries have been strengthened by the existing bilateral cooperation in various fields such as agriculture, transport and communications, commerce and human resource development," he said.

Kenya has also called for more investors and increased trade with China and there have been an increased number of exchange visits by officials and business delegations of both countries in various fields, he said.

Official figures indicate that trade between China and Kenya has developed in a steady manner. In 1991, the trade volume between the two countries stood at only 26.3 million U.S. dollars, and by 2001, the figures surged to 145 million dollars.

The economic and trade cooperation between the two countries was further enhanced last year, when Chinese Vice Minister for Foreign Trade and Economic Cooperation Sun Zhenyu visited Kenya.

During Sun's visit, the two governments signed a protocol on write-off of partial debt of Kenya to China, according to which the Chines government canceled about 13.6 million U.S. dollars, or 55 percent of Kenya's total debt owed to China.

Meanwhile, the two governments signed two other agreements, one on economic and technical cooperation and the other on promotion and protection of investment between the two countries.

In the cultural sector, the two governments have signed a protocol to renew the Cultural Agreement to accelerate exchange of cultural activities between the two countries.

At present, a Chinese acrobatic troupe is performing in Kenya, while a dancing troupe from Kenyatta University has gone to China where they are currently visiting for the "Meet in Beijing 2002" Art Festival. Meanwhile, a children's chorus from Kenya's Nyanza Province will also go to perform in China.

There are also many exchanges in educational field between the two countries. China is currently providing around ten scholarships annually for Kenyan students to study in China, while Kenya gives two scholarships to Chinese students.

However, Madoka noted that despite the progress made, the balance of trade between the two countries is still in favor of China.

This is due to the fact that Kenya imports from China high value manufactured and capital goods compared to Kenya's exports of low value agricultural and primary goods including hides and skins, sisal, fiber, coffee and tea, he said, adding that he hoped that China will increase and diversify its imports from Kenya so as to balance the trade.

Other Kenyan cabinet ministers, including Planning Minister Adhu Awiti and Minister of Trade and Industry Nicholas Biwott, have also expressed similar hope when meeting with visiting Chinese trade delegations this year.

The potential of economic cooperation between the two countries is great, the ministers said, noting that China is also a developing country and its technology is more practical for Kenya.

They said that Kenya welcomes more Chinese business people to invest in Kenya by taking advantage of Kenya's ideal investment environment and its trade arrangements with member countries of the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA), the U. S. and European Union.

They especially hoped that Chinese enterprises will invest in areas such as irrigation, agricultural machinery, telecommunications equipment, consumer industry, pharmaceutical, assembly of motor vehicles and power generation.

Tourism is another sector the two countries can carry out effective cooperation, they said, noting that China has a huge population of more than 1.2 billion, and if only a small percentage of Chinese people could visit Kenya, the country would earn a considerable income.

Madoka said that during the forthcoming visit to Kenya by Zhu Rongji, the two countries intend to sign various agreements that will further enhance bilateral relations.

"The visit offers an opportunity for us to review future prospects of enhancing our cooperation," the Kenyan minister said.

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