Kenya and China, two distant developing countries having steadily nurtured their relations during the past decades, are gaining momentum to fast-track their cooperation as Kenyan President Mwai Kibaki gets ready for his first ever visit to Beijing next week.

Business-bound Kibaki

With its fast growing economy and appetite for trade, China is increasingly becoming an ideal partner for Africa to do business with.

Earlier this week, Chinese and Kenyan officials said Kibaki's visit to China next week looks to further strengthen the two country's relations and open up potential markets.

This will be the first official visit to China by a Kenyan head of state in 11 years and also Kibaki's very first personal trip to the vast Asian country.

"Nowadays, cooperation between the two countries in various fields such as politics, trade, and economy, education and culture, public health has been developing closer and closer, especially after President Mwai Kibaki took office at the end of 2002." said Guo Chongli, Chinese Ambassador to Kenya, in a recent speech.

In recent years, 12 ministers from Kenya have visited China for 18 times, bringing home with them deals on tourism, information, economic and technical cooperation, according to the ambassador.

"The Kenya-China relations are very healthy. The Kenyan government is very pleased with the level of our friendship between the Kenyan people and the Chinese people," Kenyan government spokesman Alfred Mutua told Xinhua, adding that he believes Kibaki's upcoming visit to China will surely enhance bilateral relations and Kenya is expecting more Chinese investment in various fields. BALANCE OF TRADE

As Kibaki readies to bring some deals home, a Chinese trade delegation is also visiting Nairobi this week, not for selling Chinese products, but buying Kenyan commodities.

The delegation, with the aim to balance the bilateral trade, which currently stands in favor of China, held talks with their Kenyan counterparts and local business people to find out the range of products China can import from the east African country.

After meeting the delegation, Kenyan Trade Minister Mukhisa Kituyi said Kenya appreciates Chinese loans and grants for various Kenyan projects and China's efforts to balance bilateral trade and encourage more Chinese investment in Kenya.

Kenya is on a mission to exploit the vast Chinese market by sending more trade missions and participating in trade fairs in China to help the locals develop more business contacts, he added.

Statistics show bilateral trade is on a healthy track. According to Chinese Customs, the bilateral trade volume reached historical high of 366 million US dollars in 2004, with a 44.3 percent increase of export to Kenya and 94.3 percent increase of import from Kenya compared with the previous year.

Not just all money

But ties between the two countries doesn't stop at business. Kenya is hosting a week-long Chinese Cultural Festival, which is held in Nairobi and coastal city Mombasa from Aug. 8th to 14th, manifested by photo exhibition and performances by a visiting cultural troupe from China.

The festival, co-organized by the Chinese Embassy in Nairobi and Kenya's Ministry of Gender, Sports, Culture and Social Services, is part of celebrations to mark the 600th anniversary of legendary navigation led by Chinese mariner and explorer Zheng He, who, indicated by historical records and evidence, led his grand fleet all the way from China to the east coast of Africa.

"Today, we are commemorating the great mariner here, as the past 600 years has witnessed continuous development of China-Kenya relations," said Guo Chongli, China's ambassador to Kenya at the start of the festival.

The cultural exchanges have yielded many positive developments and opportunities. Earlier this month, Kenyan authorities approved the setting up of a Chinese radio station in Nairobi, the first Chinese broadcasting station operating outside China.

A look to the future

The two countries are also looking to the future by cooperating in human resources development, and its scale is growing.

With support from the Chinese Embassy in Nairobi, Mwamaka Sharifu, a Kenyan girl believed to be offspring of a seaman from the legendary navigation led by Zheng He, will head for a Chinese university on a Chinese government scholarship.

At the same time, 12 Kenyan students have got scholarships from the Chinese government this year and will go to study in China in September.

And as business ties between the two countries and the demand for local talents who speak the Chinese language grow, a Confucius College, which teaches the Chinese language and culture, is to begin recruit students in September.

Almost developed from scratch, China has plenty to offer for fellow aspiring developing countries. More than 200 senior Kenyan government officials and specialists have participated in seminars and workshops in China, gaining lessons and experiences from China 's success story.

"The cooperation between the two countries does have broad and bright prospects. China always treasures Sino-Kenyan friendship and is ready to make great efforts, together with the Kenyan government and the people of Kenya, to bring our long-term and mutually beneficial relations and friendly cooperation to the future," said Guo, the Chinese ambassador.

Source: Xinhua