Youth key in Kenya-China friendly relations— association

Young people in the education sector have a critical role to play in enhancing relations between Kenya and China, an alumni association has said.

The Kenya-China Alumni Association on Thursday said through education, Kenya and China have enjoyed cordial relations for over five decades with Kenyan students studying in different universities in China and vice versa.

This, according to the association, enhances people-to-people collaboration which promotes better understanding between the two nations.

“The presence of Chinese-educated alumni in Kenya has played a role in fostering understanding and collaboration. They have pursued higher education in China, creating a bridge of cultural exchange and knowledge transfer,” Kenya-China Alumni Association chairman Henry Rotich said.

The association serves as a valuable conduit for maintaining and strengthening bilateral ties, promoting people-to-people connections, and facilitating business and academic collaborations.

This comes days after China president Xi Jinping urged Kenyan students in China to promote the friendly relationship between the two countries.

In a response letter to Kenyan students and alumni at Beijing Jiaotong University, President Jinping said they are a key cog in the relations both between Kenya and China and between China and Africa.

“China and Kenya enjoy a time-honoured friendship. The Belt and Road Initiative has turned the ideals of development and revitalisation of China and Kenya into reality, and closely linked the well-being of the two peoples,” Jinping said in the letter.

The Mombasa-Nairobi Standard Gauge Railway and the Nairobi expressway are flagship projects and a successful example of China-Kenya Belt and Road cooperation.

"I am glad to see that you have bonded with China through this road to happiness. You have witnessed and benefited from the China-Kenya and China-Africa friendship and cooperation, and you have helped build and spread the friendly cooperation between China and Kenya and between China and Africa," Jinping said.

Representatives of Kenyan students and alumni at Beijing Jiaotong University had written a letter to President Jinping, expressing their pleasure in going to China to learn railway operation and management knowledge.

They also expressed their hope to serve as a bridge of friendship between Kenya and China and contribute to enhancing friendship and cooperation between the two countries and building a community with a shared future for mankind.

On Thursday, Rotich said the correspondence between the Kenyan students and alumni in China and President Jinping is a significant milestone in the flourishing relationship between Kenya and China.

“As chairman of the Kenya-China Alumni Association, I view this as an opportune moment to deepen collaboration between our nations, tapping into our shared history and values to build a future marked by prosperity and cooperation,” Rotich said.

He also said another vital avenue for enhanced partnership lies in leveraging on forums such as the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation.

FOCAC, known for fostering economic and political ties between China and African countries, serves as a prime opportunity to expand collaboration in various sectors, including education, research, and tourism, Rotich said.

“Our education sector greatly benefits from increased cooperation between Kenya and China through FOCAC.

“I look forward to more collaboration between Kenya and China with Alumni in the front line promoting Kenyan export products to China through harnessing technology transfer from China,” Rotich said.

President Jinping has recently allowed Kenyan avocados to be exported to China with as many as 2,000 farmers benefiting from the deal.

He encouraged Kenyan students to learn from China and help Kenya grow, stressing the critical role that young people play in the development of both countries.

"It is hoped that you can learn professional knowledge well, continue the traditional friendship, devote yourself to bilateral cooperation, tell well stories of China-Africa friendship, and make greater contributions to the building of a high-level China-Africa community with a shared future," Jinping said.