Wang Yi at William Ruto to defend cooperation between Beijing and Nairobi – Jeune Afrique

2023-07-23 10:46:32

Kenya and China have “become good friends with mutual trust in politics and good partners with win-win economic cooperation”, according to a statement issued by the Chinese Embassy in Kenya.

To readWilliam Ruto, between violent demonstrations and economic despair

East Africa’s most dynamic economy, Kenya is seen by the international community as a stable democracy in a troubled region. China is now Kenya’s second largest donor, behind the Banque world.

Debts and infrastructure

In Mombasa, on the Kenyan coast, China is financing the construction of a new terminal within the largest port in East Africa. China has also loaned 5 billion dollars (4.7 billion euros) for the realization of the most expensive infrastructure project since the country’s independence in 1963: the train line which since 2017 has linked the port city of Mombasa to that of Naivasha, in the Rift Valley, via the capital Nairobi. This project “has completely changed the face of Kenya”, welcomed the press release from the embassy.

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Kenyan President William Ruto, elected in August 2022, for his part affirmed his desire to “strengthen the Kenya-China strategic partnership centered on infrastructure development” or “climate change”, he said in a tweet.

In particular, we are keen on the development of roads — under the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation — to spur economic growth under our Bottom-Up Economic Transformation Agenda. pic.twitter.com/2PEFjhse1N

— William Samoei Ruto, PhD (@WilliamsRuto) July 22, 2023

But China is often accused to use its creditor status to extract diplomatic and commercial concessions, raising concerns regarding the ability of many African states to assume the debts incurred.

To readChina-Africa: who benefited from the 40 billion dollars of “hidden debt”?

The Kenyan economy is particularly burdened by a debt which peaks at 70 billion dollars (regarding 65 billion euros), at nearly 67% of GDP.

After visiting Kenya, Wang Yi is due to travel to South Africa on July 24-25 for the BRICS summit, a group that includes South Africa, Brazil, China, India and Russia. It presents itself as an alternative to the dominant global governance structures, led by Western countries.

This tour of Africa by Wang Yi, the Chinese Communist Party’s main foreign affairs official, comes at a time when Beijing is strengthening its investments and cooperation with the continent African.

(With AFP)

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