Residents and businessmen visit the 4th China-Africa Economic and Trade Expo in Changsha, Central China's Hunan Province on June 13, 2025. Photo: VCG

Kenya is committed to free trade, and encourages trips and cooperation among nations, Lee Kinyanjui, Cabinet Secretary in the Ministry of Investments, Trade and Industry of Kenya, told the Global Times on Friday, adding that "it is for this reason we have bilateral ties between Kenya and China, which has had very positive results."

Kinyanjui made the remarks during a sub-event on Kenya-China investment at the ongoing 4th China-Africa Economic and Trade Expo, which runs from Thursday to Sunday in Changsha, Central China's Hunan Province.

"It's our responsibility to build, not just Kenya and China, but a world where people can trade freely and create friendships, and that's really what we are looking for," Kinyanjui said.

The official said that economic and trade ties between Kenya and China are in a very good place, with bilateral cooperation getting better. 

"This year, we have made very strategic moves starting with a state visit by the President of Kenya, William Ruto, to China, where we had the signing of the cooperation agreement, from which many Chinese companies will benefit from coming and doing business and investing in our country," Kinyanjui said.

According to the Xinhua News Agency, Ruto paid a state visit to China from April 22 to 26 this year, during which the two countries agreed to elevate their ties to a China-Kenya community with a shared future for the new era.

In addition, 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, per Xinhua.

"We also appreciate the zero-tariff treatment for 100 percent of tariff lines for African countries that have diplomatic relations with China, which marks the free entry of African products including Kenyan coffee, tea and other products into the Chinese market," the official noted.

"It has been a big opportunity for Kenya and for African businesses. We'd like to have a much wider variety of products that we can export to China," Erick Rutto, President of the Kenya National Chamber of Commerce and Industry, told the Global Times during the sub-event.

Kinyanjui also noted the results between the two countries under the framework of the China-proposed Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). 

"Through the BRI, we have had a major road network that has actually been opened up, so that goods can move from one place to the other with efficiency. So we appreciate the initiative, because through that, many African countries can access their materials and bring finished products into our country," the official noted.

Under the BRI, Chinese enterprises actively participated in the infrastructure construction in Kenya, which has improved local transport capacity. 

On Tuesday, a celebration to mark eight years of seamless operation of the Chinese-built Mombasa-Nairobi Standard Gauge Railway (SGR) in Kenya was held, according to Xinhua.

Addressing the ceremony, Chinese Ambassador to Kenya Guo Haiyan praised the SGR as a flagship project of the BRI and a vital step in Kenya's journey toward economic transformation. 

Abdi Bare, chairman of Kenya Railways Corporation, said that both the SGR passenger and freight service have revolutionized mobility in the country, promoting connectivity, trade and industrial progress. 

By the end of May 2025, the SGR has transported over 15.3 million passengers and over 40.3 million tons of cargo, according to Xinhua.

Looking ahead, Rutto said the African country is interested in partnering with Chinese technology companies, especially in new energy, green energy, building construction material, heavy equipment, agricultural machinery as well as mining centers, so that Kenya can expand the variety of products it exports to China and also to other parts of the world.

Kinyanjui added that the two countries also have large scope for cooperation in the pharmaceuticals industry, ICT as well as artificial intelligence, noting that the country is also looking at Chinese agricultural companies that can provide food security solutions for Africa.

Bilateral trade between China and Kenya reached a record high in the first quarter of the year, Xinhua reported, citing official data from China's General Administration of Customs (GAC).

According to GAC, goods trade between the two countries in the first three months climbed 11.9 percent year-on-year to reach 16.13 billion yuan ($2.25 billion), marking the sixth consecutive quarter of growth. China's exports to Kenya saw a year-on-year increase of 11.8 percent during the period, while imports from Kenya went up by 13.2 percent, the customs data showed.

China is Kenya's largest trading partner and the biggest source of its imports, while Kenya is China's biggest trading partner in East Africa. Bilateral trade has delivered tangible benefits to people in both countries. Chinese goods such as home appliances, electrical components and construction machinery have supported Kenya's infrastructure development and broadened consumer choices. Meanwhile, Kenyan agricultural products, ranging from avocados to tea, are appearing more frequently on Chinese dining tables, per Xinhua.