Saudi Central Bank Senior Advisor Mohamed Wehliye has cautioned the Kenya Kwanza Government of any attempts to frustrate China ‘s trading .
Speaking on Tuesday, Wehliye said the state should be careful in how the address the ongoing China Centre issue.
“China is our biggest bilateral creditor. Hustlers should be careful how they treat them especially given our debt issues,” he said.
“When you rattle a Dragon be prepared to be bitten by it,” Wehliye said.
China square has been the talk of the town after reports went rife that it is selling commodities at a cheaper and affordable rate.
The reports have seen hundreds of Kenyans troop to Unicity mall owned by Kenyatta university to have an experience of China Square, a move that Kenyan traders felt will elbow them out of business.
Last week, Trade CS Moses Kuria said that as much as Kenya welcomes Chinese investors, they were here as manufacturers and not traders.
He said he had held talks with the Kenyatta University Vice Chancellor Prof Paul Wainaina on the shop's lease.
"I have today given an offer to Prof Wainaina the VC Kenyatta University to buy out the lease for China Square, Unicity Mall and hand it over to the Gikomba, Nyamakima, Muthurwa and Eastleigh Traders Association," he said.
However, KU Secretary general Thiong'o Muiruri warned against the shut down saying the retailer should be left to continue with the business.
"For donkey years, the unicity mall has remained under-utilized, if this was about the government promoting local traders then it would have been done a long time ago," Muiruri said.
On Saturday China Square announced that it had halted operations this Sunday for evaluation of its strategy.
China Square is located at Unicity mall Thika road.
In the past few days, it has taken shoppers by storm attracting criticism from local traders.
The square has the most affordable items, according to Kenyans on social media; all you could want at cheaper prices.
Several Nairobi small-scale traders on Tuesday held protests in the Central Business District against China Square.
The traders from Gikomba, Nyamakima and CBD held demonstrations from downtown up to Harambee Annexe which houses the office of the Deputy President.
Some of the traders had decried that the shopping centre be closed as it was slowing down business operations.
Last week, DP Gachagua hosted representatives of small traders from Nyamakima, Kamukunji, Gikomba, and River Road for discussions on addressing challenges in their businesses.
He vowed to find a solution to issues affecting small-scale traders in the Central Business District.
