Kenya, China agree on closer economic and security ties

Kenya and China have agreed to deepen their strategic partnership through a wide-ranging cooperation plan aimed at boosting trade, improving infrastructure, and promoting peace and stability.

The two nations on Thursday committed to working closely on key initiatives that include economic development, technology exchange, and joint efforts in combating global challenges.

During President William Ruto’s state visit to China from April 22 to 26, he held extensive talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping.

The two leaders reaffirmed their commitment to shared prosperity through mutual respect and strategic collaboration.

President Ruto also met Premier Li Qiang and National People’s Congress Chairman Zhao Leji.

Both sides hailed the 62-year-old diplomatic relationship, describing it as a symbol of sincere friendship, equality, and shared development goals.

They pledged to build a stronger China-Kenya partnership that aligns with the broader goals of China-Africa relations.

The agreement emphasized the importance of advancing cooperation through China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) and aligning it with Kenya’s Vision 2030 and Bottom-Up Economic Transformation Agenda.

"The two sides are satisfied with the fruitful results they have achieved in high-quality Belt and Road cooperation," the statement read.

Efforts will be made to enhance practical cooperation by increasing Chinese investment in Kenya and supporting industrial growth.

China encouraged its leading enterprises to establish businesses in Kenya, while also pledging to import more Kenyan products.

The countries will seek to sign a framework agreement on economic partnership or a free trade deal to ensure stable and predictable trade relations.

The two governments also agreed to jointly promote key infrastructure projects, such as the Mombasa-Nairobi Railway, and improve connectivity through coordinated industrial development.

They plan to institutionalize cooperation in the railway sector and explore launching direct flights between Nairobi and Beijing based on market demand.

In the financial sector, China committed to supporting the expansion of its financial institutions into Kenya and expressed readiness to cooperate on new instruments such as panda bonds.

Kenya welcomed this move, recognizing China’s role in boosting East Africa’s financial growth.

On healthcare, China acknowledged Kenya’s pressing need for medicine and vaccines and promised to support local pharmaceutical development.

"China places great importance on Kenya’s urgent needs in dealing with medicine and vaccine shortages," the statement said. Kenya, in return, will facilitate market access for Chinese medicines.

The two countries also promised to expand cooperation under the Global Development Initiative (GDI), with a focus on agriculture, poverty reduction, green growth, and the blue economy.

Kenya praised the initiative, noting it resonates with the aspirations of Global South countries.

Kenya also committed to drawing lessons from China’s experience in poverty alleviation and modern agriculture.

Both sides agreed to boost training in industry, higher education, and vocational skills, and to support innovation in digital technology, artificial intelligence, blockchain, and mobile connectivity.

Kenya appreciated China’s proposals on global security, particularly the Global Security Initiative (GSI), and expressed support for cooperation under this framework.

The two countries plan to sign a memorandum of understanding to improve law enforcement collaboration and fight transnational crimes, including cybercrime, human trafficking, and wildlife smuggling.

“The two sides will actively negotiate and sign a memorandum of understanding on cooperation between their law enforcement agencies,” the joint statement noted. The goal is to build stronger enforcement capacity and secure both nations against cross-border threats.

China also commended Kenya for hosting the Africa Climate Summit and praised President Ruto’s leadership in uniting African countries on climate action. The two sides agreed to explore deeper cooperation in environmental protection and climate change based on the Nairobi Declaration.

Cultural and people-to-people exchanges will also be strengthened.

The countries will hold a China-Kenya culture and tourism season in 2025, and support the 2026 Year of China-Africa People-to-People Exchanges.

The collaboration will also include science, technology, sports, women’s empowerment, and media.

In the spirit of mutual learning and equality among civilizations, both countries expressed support for the Global Civilization Initiative (GCI).

They plan to push for greater understanding and cooperation through multilateral platforms like the United Nations.