As Western nations scale back foreign aid, China has assured African states, including Kenya, of its commitment to their development through bilateral trade and investment, pledging to deepen relations and expand cooperation with regional countries.
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, speaking at a press conference, Friday in Beijing, on the sidelines of the country’s annual parliamentary session in the Chinese capital emphasized China’s enduring partnership with Africa.
“China and Africa have always been good friends, good partners and good brothers with a shared future,” Wang Yi said, highlighting the “all-weather” nature of their relationship.
He pointed to the 25-year history of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation, citing tangible achievements such as the construction of nearly 100,000 kilometers of roads and over 10,000 kilometers of railways.
“China- Africa cooperation can be seen, touched and benefited by African brothers and sisters,” he added, referencing the impact of Chinese hybrid rice in alleviating hunger.
Wang Yi’s assurances come at a time when many African nations like Kenya are facing a retreat of Western aid.
Analysts say this comes at a crucial time, as Kenya, facing financial constraints and dwindling Western aid, increasingly looks to China for development support.
China is Kenya’s largest bilateral creditor, with Kenya eyeing additional support to complete key infrastructure projects.
Recent announcements from the United States, Germany, and the United Kingdom, citing budgetary constraints and policy reassessments, have signalled a reduction in development assistance, raising concerns among Kenyan and other African officials.
The withdrawal of Western support has prompted African nations, including Kenya, to seek alternative partnerships.
Wang Yi reiterated China’s commitment to implementing the outcomes of the Beijing Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation, outlining plans to accelerate Africa’s industrialization and agricultural modernization.
He emphasized the “Ten Partnership Actions” for China and Africa, including zero-tariff measures, the cultivation of new growth points in digital, green, and artificial intelligence, and the implementation of 1,000 small-scale projects to benefit people’s livelihoods.
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“Africa is the land of hope in the 21st century, and without Africa’s modernization, there will be no modernization of the world,” Wang Yi stated, urging the world to “listen to Africa’s voice and attach importance to its concerns.”
Kenya has been actively seeking a deal with China to complete the Nairobi to Mombasa China-funded Sh360 billion Standard Gauge Railway (SGR) to Malaba.
In September 2024, on the sidelines of the 9th Forum on China- Africa Cooperation (FOCAC), Kenya contracted two new credit agreements with the China Development Bank.
The first was a $279 million (Sh36.2 billion) concessional loan to fund the completion of 16 road projects which had stalled because the money to pay contractors had run out.
The Chinese Development Bank agreed to lend Kenya a similar sum ($281 million or Sh36 billion) to build 15 rural roads.
The third major development arising from FOCAC was the announcement that the National Treasury and China Africa Development Fund (CAD Fund) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding to enhance cooperation under the Public-Private Partnership in bilateral cooperation
projects and expanding the Nairobi office of the CAD Fund to facilitate the eventual opening of a China Development Bank branch office in Kenya.
Kenya is also negotiating with China the funding and construction of the proposed Rironi-Mau Summit-Malaba dual carriage road.
In Kenya, officials and experts are increasingly viewing China as a crucial development partner amid the global reorganization.
Wang Yi stressed that China’s diplomacy will continue to provide certainty in an uncertain world, emphasizing the expansion of global partnerships, particularly with African countries.
“No matter how the world changes, China’s heart will always be with the global south,” he said.
The new pledge by China to advance “major signature projects” under the signature project of President Xi Jing Ping, the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) has reignited Kenya’s hopes for the long-anticipated extension of Mombasa Nairobi Standard Gauge Railway (SGR) to Malaba.
The original plan was to connect with a third SGR extension of 250 kilometers to run from Naivasha to Kisumu, on Lake Victoria, but the Government is yet to secure further funding.
Newly appointed Ambassador of China to Kenya, Ambassador Guo Haiyan, had recently reiterated China’s commitment to strengthening ties with Kenya.
“I am ready to work closely with the Kenyan government and people, to deepen traditional friendship between the two countries, and further promote practical cooperation for the benefit of the two peoples,” she said.
China-Africa diplomacy watchers said China’s diplomatic assurances for Africa signal Beijing’s strategic commitments.
“The pledge that China will not leave anyone behind reflects President Xi’s core diplomatic vision of ‘building a community with a shared future for mankind.” But beyond the rhetoric, the impact is real—creating jobs and helping to lift people out of poverty across the continent,” CGTN reporter Huang Fei said.
She noted that China is also expanding its investments in Africa beyond traditional sectors like infrastructure and agriculture, moving into technology, retail, the digital economy, green development, and even aerospace.
“As Beijing commits to supporting “future industries,” Wang has made it clear that Beijing will share the fruits of innovation with other countries. In his words, “the world belongs to everyone”.”
And as the G20 summit prepares to convene in South Africa, Wang Yi affirmed China’s support for South Africa’s presidency, underscoring China’s commitment to amplifying Africa’s voice in global governance.
“This year’s G20 summit will be held on the African continent for the first time, and China firmly supports South Africa in fulfilling its presidency and leaving a clear ‘African imprint’ on global governance,” he stated.
