Kenyan president expects visit to China to deepen bilateral ties

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NAIROBI, Aug. 17 -- Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta on Friday said he will seek to deepen ties with China during his upcoming visit to the Asian country, hoping the trip will promote the development in infrastructure, manufacturing, technology and tourism in his country.

The president told China's official Xinhua News Agency that he believes that his visit to China will bring the bilateral relations to a new stage and that closer bilateral ties will benefit Kenya.

The Kenyan leader made the remarks ahead of his Aug. 18-23 visit to China, his first as the president of East Africa's biggest economy and the third to the emerging power house of the world economy in Asia.

His trip also coincides with the golden jubilee of Kenya's independence and the establishment of diplomatic relations between Kenya and China.

"I have been to China twice. This is my third visit. I personally like their hard work ethic, I like their discipline, I like the fact that they are like Kenyan enterprising and looking to the future," said President Kenyatta.

The fourth president of Kenya, Kenyatta, who just inaugurated in April, spoke highly of relations with China.

China was very supportive when Kenya was striving for independence, the president said. Since Kenya gained independence in 1963, the two countries have maintained close relationship, both in cultural exchanges and economic cooperation, he added.

With the development of cultural exchanges between the two countries, the Confucius Institutes in University of Nairobi, Kenyatta University and Egerton University attract thousands of Kenyan students, of whom many have opportunities to study in China with scholarships from the Chinese government.

Speaking of the Chinese enterprises in Kenya and their contributions to the Kenyan economy, Kenyatta said China is helping in infrastructure development involving roads, energy and ports.

Among the key objects being built by Chinese firms in Kenya are the eight-lane Nairobi-Thika superhighway and the expansion of the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport, the president said.

The Chinese firms have won admiration from the Kenyan public for their efficiency and speed, which have helped upgrade the country's road network from its dilapidated state a few years ago, he told Xinhua.

According to the statistics from the Chinese Embassy in Kenya, China has become the second largest trade partner to Kenya, with bilateral trade rising to 2.84 billion U. S. dollars.

China has also invested 474 million dollars in Kenya, becoming its biggest foreign direct investment source.

More and more Chinese tourists are flocking to Kenya in a sign of boom in its tourism. In 2011, around 370,000 Chinese tourists travelled to Kenya, 31.4 percent higher than in the previous year. In 2012, a total of 41,000 Chinese tourists visited Kenya, which is expecting an even higher figure in the future.

Kenyatta said his government is providing the necessary incentives to tap the potential in China to realize the target of 5 million tourists annually.

The president sees Kenya and China in common where both countries are seeking the economic growth to ensure most of the people enjoy prosperity.

"We are both countries that are outward thinking, but recognize our development is based on mutual respect and mutual understanding," he said.

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