Chinese President Xi Jinping holds a welcome ceremony for Kenyan President William Ruto at the square outside the east gate of the Great Hall of the People prior to their talks in Beijing, capital of China, April 24, 2025. Photo: Xinhua

Chinese President Xi Jinping held talks with Kenyan President William Ruto in Beijing on Thursday, with the two sides agreeing to elevate their ties to a China-Kenya community with a shared future for the new era.

Noting that the move is a strategic choice for both sides, Xi said that in response to the historical trend and the trend of the times, China is willing to work with Kenya to create an example in the all-weather China-Africa community with a shared future for the new era, and lead the development of China-Africa relations and the forging of solidarity and cooperation among Global South countries.

China and Kenya should continue to firmly support each other in safeguarding national sovereignty, security and development interests, firmly support each other in exploring development paths that suit their respective national conditions, and deepen exchanges of experience in state governance, Xi said.

He called on the two sides to enhance regular policy communication, build connectivity at a higher level, promote sustainable trade, explore diversified financial integration, carry forward the friendship forged through generations, and be leaders in advancing high-quality Belt and Road cooperation.

Xi said China's supersized market has always kept its door open to high-quality products from Kenya, adding that China encourages more capable Chinese enterprises to invest and start businesses in Kenya.

As important members of the Global South, China and Kenya should take concrete actions to firmly safeguard the international system with the United Nations at its core, promote extensive consultation and joint contribution for shared benefit in global governance, and practice true multilateralism, Xi said.

Xi said China is willing to work with African countries, including Kenya, to achieve more early results of the Beijing Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation to better benefit the African people, and promote high-quality China-Africa cooperation to lead Global South cooperation.

Stressing that there are no winners in tariff and trade wars, Xi said China is willing to work with other countries to address various challenges through solidarity and cooperation, safeguard legitimate rights and interests, uphold international trade rules, and maintain international fairness and justice.

Ruto said Kenya and China have always adhered to sincere treatment and mutual benefit and win-win cooperation, and are all-weather strategic cooperative partners. Kenya firmly adheres to the one-China policy and insists that Taiwan is an inalienable part of China's territory.

Ruto expressed gratitude to the Chinese government and people for their selfless assistance to Kenya's efforts in improving infrastructure and responding to natural disasters, adding that Belt and Road projects such as the Mombasa-Nairobi Railway have effectively promoted Kenya's national development. 

He said Kenya is willing to work with China to build a community with a shared future, comprehensively strengthen the synergy between their economic and social development strategies, strengthen cooperation on trade, investment, infrastructure construction and science and technology, and enhance exchanges in education, culture and tourism.

Cooperation between Africa and China is conducive to Africa's peaceful development, and Kenya is willing to closely coordinate and cooperate with China to implement the outcomes of the Beijing Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation, Ruto added.

The elevation of bilateral ties between the two countries will create opportunities and space for future China-Kenya and China-Africa cooperation. Kenya has long played an important role in China-Africa collaboration, offering valuable experience for other African nations on their path to modernization, said Yang Baorong, director of African Studies of the Institute of West-Asian and African Studies at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences. 

During last year's Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC), leaders from both sides reaffirmed commitment to strengthening the China-Africa partnership, with the concept of an "all-weather China-Africa community with a shared future for the new era" gaining traction. Accelerating Africa's modernization would not only contribute to global economic stability and progress, but also generate new drivers of growth and investment returns, further propelling global modernization efforts, said the expert. 

After the talks, the two heads of state witnessed the signing of 20 cooperation documents in areas such as the Belt and Road Initiative, new and high technology, people-to-people and cultural exchanges, economy and trade, and media.

The two sides issued the Joint Statement Between the People's Republic of China and the Republic of Kenya on Creating an Inspiring Example in the All-Weather China-Africa Community with a Shared Future for the New Era.

The broader set of agreements are expected to further deepen cooperation with Kenya and African countries at large, particularly under the Belt and Road Initiative. As bilateral cooperation advances to a new level toward modernization, the two sides may also discuss how to address the challenges faced by some Global South countries in overcoming constraints imposed by traditional Western developed markets, said Yang. 

Ruto visited China in October 2023 and September 2024 to attend the third Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation and the Beijing Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation, respectively, according to the Xinhua News Agency. 

Ruto's visit to China has attracted media attention. For example, the South China Morning Post reported that his five-day trip comes as Kenya weighs its options amid US tariffs and suspended aid. It noted that the state visit also marked a shift from Ruto's initially West-leaning stance.

The effects of US unilateralism, protectionist measures, and the limited support from Western-led financial institutions in addressing Kenya's debt crisis, has prompted a policy shift in the Ruto administration. President Ruto is now steering Kenya toward deeper engagement with China and other Global South nations, Song Wei, a professor at the School of International Relations and Diplomacy at Beijing Foreign Studies University, told the Global Times. 

In May 2024, during Ruto's visit to the US, former US President Joe Biden named Kenya as a major non-NATO ally, making it the first sub-Saharan African country to receive that designation, according to BBC. 

However, the current US administration's reciprocal tariff policy did not spare Kenya, essentially ending its preferential trade benefits. Additionally, US' emphasis on reciprocity in US-Africa relations will inevitably lead to reduced support and aid for Kenya, said Song.

China and Africa share a long-standing friendship built on mutual respect and win-win cooperation. As a leading member of the Global South, China remains committed to strengthening solidarity and collaboration with developing countries to tackle today's global development challenges together, said Song.

Reinforce confidence on multilateralism 

Analysts observed that from the meeting with Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez on April 11, to the talks with Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev on Wednesday and Kenyan President William Ruto on Thursday, the Chinese leader had consistently reiterated China's position on tariffs and trade wars.

Speaking at Peking University in Beijing on Wednesday, President Ruto warned that escalating trade wars between the US and other countries threaten to unravel the post-World War II global order. He noted that the growing disputes highlight the fragility of the financial, peace, and security systems long upheld by the West, according to a news website AllAfrica. 

The US government's coercive tariff policies have disrupted economies worldwide, fueling global concern, said Song, noting that "more importantly, US' unilateralism has severely undermined confidence in multilateralism and the notion that trade can serve as a driver of global integration."

At the beginning of April, as part of its trade policy overhaul, US imposed a 10 percent reciprocal tariff on Kenyan exports to the US. According to Kenya's The Star newspaper, the tariff is expected to significantly impact Kenya's total trade with the US, which amounted to $1.5 billion in 2024.

One aim of Ruto's visit may be to strengthen China-Kenya cooperation to promote solidarity among Global South countries and jointly address the global crises and loss of confidence caused by protectionism and unilateralism, said Song.

More countries, especially developing countries of the Global South and China, are also working to advocate joint efforts to restore confidence in the multilateral trading system and to promote inclusive, cooperative development to counter protectionism and unilateralism, said Song.