China attaches great importance to relations with Kenya and
wants to develop cooperation between the two countries, said
China's top legislator Wu Bangguo yesterday when meeting with
Kenya's National Assembly Speaker Francis Ole Kaparo.
Kaparo is visiting China from August 20 to 27 at the invitation
of Wu, chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's
Congress (NPC). This is his second visit to China after a first
visit in 2000.
Wu said Kenya is a major east African nation and China considers
it to be a key cooperation partner in Africa.
In April President Hu Jintao visited Kenya, returning his Kenyan
counterpart Mwai Kibaki's visit to China in 2005.
"China is willing to work with Kenya to develop their
traditional friendship and strengthen mutually beneficial
cooperation," said Wu.
Wu, who visited Kenya in October 2004, said the NPC is willing
to further friendly exchanges with Kenya's National Assembly and
maintain close cooperation in international and regional
parliamentary organizations.
He said he hopes the two parliaments will promote relations
between the two countries.
This year, which sees the 50th anniversary of the establishment
of diplomatic relations between China and African countries, is a
landmark in the history of Sino-African relations, he said.
The Chinese government will host the China-Africa Cooperation
Forum in November in Beijing.
Wu said China is willing to cooperate with African countries
including Kenya, and is looking forward to a successful meeting
that will push forward the new strategic partnership between the
two sides.
Kaparo said Kenya's long-term policy has been to develop
Kenya-China relations.
Kenya appreciates the achievements that China has made since it
began its reform and opening-up policy and is willing to learn from
those experiences, he said.
Kaparo said Kenya hopes to see more investment from Chinese
businessmen and can provide favorable conditions.
Besides Beijing, Kaparo will also visit central China's Hunan
Province and the southern province of Guangdong, the country's most
developed area.
On his first visit, Kaparo visited Beijing, China's financial
hub Shanghai, and east China's Anhui Province.
China and Kenya established diplomatic relations in 1963. In
2005, bilateral trade reached US$475 million, up 29.7 percent
year-on-year.
(Xinhua News Agency August 22, 2006)
