China’s highest ranking diplomat, Wang Yi, has been on an Africa tour since July 21 on his way to the summit of BRICS National Security Advisers and High Representatives on National Security in South Africa. Wang visited Kenya and Nigeria over the weekend before arriving for the summit on July 24 in South Africa, and will also visit Nigeria and Turkiye before he returns to China. The visit underscores the importance China places in its relationship with African nations, and the responses from his hosts show their appreciation of that.
The diplomat met with Kenyan President William Ruto and Secretary for Foreign and Diaspora Affairs Alfred Mutua on July 22. According to a Global Times article on the visit, Ruto told Wang that his country’s relationship with China has been on the rise since they established relations 60 years ago, and that strengthening the relationship is a consensus shared by all sectors in the country.
Ruto also reportedly praised China’s emphasis upon the principle of mutual respect, and said that Kenya is glad to be increasing its cooperation with China in the fields of railroads, highways, water conservancy, aviation, and energy, and stressed the role of China’s Belt and Road with this.
Foreign and Diaspora Affairs Secretary Mutua expressed a similar sentiment in their meetings, saying that Kenya’s relationship with China is not a “choice of expediency,” but rather a long-term strategic choice that he sees as yielding mutual benefit for the two countries.
“Kenya is ready to join hands with China to maintain regional peace and security, strengthen coordination and cooperation in multilateral affairs and jointly build a better world,” Mutua declared.
Also of note, while these meetings were ongoing, the President of Algeria officially visited China on July 17-21. (https://www.globaltimes.cn/page/202307/1294906.shtml\)