On May 15, 2017, President Xi Jinping met with President Uhuru Kenyatta of Kenya at the Great Hall of the People, who was in China for the Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation (BRF).

 

Xi Jinping pointed out that the BRF was just successfully concluded with fruitful outcomes. China appreciates Kenya's positive contributions in this regard. In recent years, China-Kenya comprehensive cooperative partnership has developed rapidly, and bilateral relations are in the best period of history. As one of the pilot and demonstration countries of carrying out China-Africa production capacity cooperation, Kenya plays a leading and exemplary role in bilateral cooperation. I propose to upgrade bilateral relations to a comprehensive strategic partnership. China is willing to make joint efforts with Kenya to constantly elevate bilateral relations to new stages.

 

Xi Jinping stressed that China and Kenya should continue treating and developing bilateral relations from a strategic and long-term perspective, maintaining the high-level exchanges, and offering mutual support on issues related to respective core interests and major concerns. Both sides should take the construction of Mombasa-Nairobi Railway (MNR) as the lead to advance the establishment of a land-port integrated industrial economic corridor, and jointly forge a new "trinity" cooperation pattern consisting of MNR, Mombasa Port, and Mombasa special economic zone. Both sides should enhance people-to-people and cultural exchanges and cooperation, and promote the project of Chinese Cultural Centers. Both countries should strengthen cooperation in peace, security, justice and police affairs, jointly combat transnational crimes, and reinforce communication and coordination in international and regional affairs.

 

Uhuru Kenyatta congratulated China on the successful closure of the BRF, which has showed the world the tangible outcomes from the far-sighted "Belt and Road" initiative, and provided a historic platform for developing and developed countries to discuss cooperation on the basis of mutual benefit and win-win results. Kenya is willing to actively take part in the "Belt and Road" construction, and work closely with China in regards to economy, trade, investment, energy, tourism, and infrastructure, as well as enhance coordination and collaboration on issues of peace and development in Africa, in order to develop a robust Kenya-China comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership and Africa-China relations.

 

After the meeting, the two heads of state jointly witnessed the signing of bilateral cooperation documents covering judicial assistance, production capacity, economic and technical cooperation and other fields.