President William Ruto has arrived in Beijing China for an official visit.
In a statement via his X handle on Monday, September 2, the President said he is in China to attend the 9th Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) Summit.
“Arrived in Beijing for the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation Summit. The meeting presents an opportunity for Africa to renew and strengthen its partnership with China.
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“Over the years, China has proven to be a true development partner, significantly revamping our infrastructure. We look forward to leveraging these ties to accelerate our transformation,” said Ruto.
The Head of State left Kenya on Sunday night in the company of First Lady Rachel Ruto, Azimio leader Raila Odinga, and government other officials.
State House Spokesperson Hussein Mohammed in a statement said the FOCAC summit will bring together African Heads of State, Chinese leaders, and the African Union Commission to discuss and strengthen Sino-African relations.
“The summit's theme, "Joining Hands to Advance Modernisation and Build a High-Level China-Africa Community with a Shared Future," highlights the commitment of both African governments and China to leverage their comparative advantages to foster industrial and socio-economic development policies and programmes for a prosperous future,” said Hussein.
The State House Spokesperson also noted that President Ruto will co-chair a session on "Pursuing High-Quality Belt and Road Initiative Cooperation: A Platform for Modernisation Featuring Planning, Building, and Benefiting Together" at the High-Level Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) event.
During the visit, the Head of State will participate in several other high-profile meetings and events to further strengthen Kenya-China relations and explore new areas of collaboration.
Ruto will also meet with President Xi Jinping to discuss strengthening bilateral ties and exploring new areas of cooperation between Kenya and China.
Further, he will hold bilateral meetings with Heads of State and Governments from various African countries, including Senegal and Algeria, to foster regional cooperation.
Additionally, Ruto will engage with major Chinese corporations to pitch for increased investment in Kenya’s infrastructure development, healthcare, and technology sectors.