China and Kenya a 'community of destiny', says Xi Jinping

China and Kenya have elevated their relations to a comprehensive partnership and signed eight pacts to boost cooperation as the countries' leaders met for the first time since they took office.

The agreements cover several sectors including economic cooperation, infrastructure, people-to-people exchanges, finance, environmental protection and new energy.

Calling China and Africa a "community of destiny", President Xi Jinping said China firmly supports African countries' independent development and wants to continue playing a constructive role in the continent's stability and development.

Xi made the remarks when meeting President Uhuru Kenyatta, who arrived in China on Aug 18 for a six-day state visit, his first outside Africa since taking office in April.

Before the meeting, Xi, who made the African continent part of his first foreign trip after taking office as president in March, welcomed Kenyatta with a 21-gun salute outside the Great Hall of the People in Beijing.

Xi congratulated Kenyatta on his election victory, saying, "I believe, given your vigor and vitality, you should be able to lead the Kenyan people in registering even greater accomplishments on the road ahead toward your national development."

China would like to continue measures to increase imports from Kenya and promote a balanced growth of bilateral trade, Xi said.

He urged both sides to strengthen cooperation in special economic zone construction, agriculture, wildlife protection and fighting cross-border crime.

Kenyatta said his country, which is committed to industrialization and improving people's living conditions, wants to learn from China's development, as the two countries have similar histories and visions.

China has become Kenya's largest source of foreign direct investment and second-largest trade partner. By June, China's cumulative direct investment in Kenya had reached $474 million. Bilateral trade was worth $2.84 billion last year.

Kenya, an important link between China and Africa, also hopes China, "a strong and true friend", will play a bigger role in promoting Africa's peace and prosperity, Kenyatta said.

When Premier Li Keqiang met Kenyatta on Tuesday, Li said China and Africa face many similar challenges from natural disasters and poverty, so the two sides can work together to reduce poverty globally and grow together.

Li stressed that China supports Africa in its development goals and efforts to integrate regionally, and is willing to contribute more to promote Africa's stability and growth.

Kenyatta said Kenya attaches great importance to the relationship with China, and appreciates its long-term support. Kenya is keen to learn from China and elevate the relationship to a higher level, he said.

Amina Mohamed, Kenyan foreign affairs and international trade cabinet secretary, said one of the eight agreements signed was for a standard-gauge railway line running from the port city of Mombasa to Kampala, the capital of Uganda.

"We have a railway on the route, but it is an old one, which cannot meet our requirements, for the transport of goods and people," Mohamed told China Daily.

"We also want to open up new areas for trade and business, and we believe this project is important for our economic development. So we need a new line."

Mohanmed said China plays an important role in Africa's integration, stability and development.

"Infrastructure development can help Africa to integrate, and many Chinese companies are contractors in our infrastructure projects. Chinese investments in Africa will help our economic growth. And Chinese efforts in UN peacekeeping missions in Africa, such as in Sudan and Somalia, make a significant contribution to African stability."

Kenya is one of the most popular African destinations for Chinese tourists. It has the largest number of Confucius Institutes on the continent and is a major center for broadcasting and reporting by Chinese media.

Last year about 41,000 tourists from China visited Kenya, an increase of 10.4 percent compared with 2011, and Nairobi is trying to tap the potential in China to realize the target of 5 million tourists annually.

For the Kenyan government, protecting wildlife is an important task, and Mohamed said the country needs support from its friends.

"It's extremely important (that) we have the equipment to protect the animals and the vehicles to transport our wardens who survey and monitor animal movements in national parks."

Money that China is giving Kenya will be used to protect animals, Mohamed said.

"China has been making a big contribution. We are really grateful for that."

He Wenping, an expert on African studies at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, said cooperating with Kenya will not only benefit both countries, but will also lead to more cooperation between China and other African countries.

"Infrastructure construction is an important field in cooperation. Chinese firms are contracting many infrastructure projects in Kenya, including building telecommunications facilities and ports," China Radio International quoted He as saying.

For example, China Communications Construction Company won the tender to build the first three berths at Kenya's new mega port in Lamu in April.

"The Lamu port project will largely improve Kenya's transport capability," He said. "It will promote more business development in East African and Middle African countries, because their trade relies highly on Kenya's ports."

Xu Weizhong, an expert on African studies at the China Institutes of Contemporary International Relations, said Kenya is accessible to the whole of Africa, and the country has one of the best airlines in the continent.

"Cooperating with Kenya can help Chinese investors enter a much bigger market in East Africa," Xu said.

Kenya is one of the fastest developing countries in Africa and has strong growth in various sectors, particularly in industry and agriculture. This provides a good platform to develop further cooperation for the two countries, he said.??