China attaches great importance to relations with Kenya and wants to develop cooperation between the two countries, said China's top legislator Wu Bangguo yesterday when meeting with Kenya's National Assembly Speaker Francis Ole Kaparo.

 

Kaparo is visiting China from August 20 to 27 at the invitation of Wu, chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress (NPC). This is his second visit to China after a first visit in 2000.

 

Wu said Kenya is a major east African nation and China considers it to be a key cooperation partner in Africa.

 

In April President Hu Jintao visited Kenya, returning his Kenyan counterpart Mwai Kibaki's visit to China in 2005.

 

"China is willing to work with Kenya to develop their traditional friendship and strengthen mutually beneficial cooperation," said Wu.

 

Wu, who visited Kenya in October 2004, said the NPC is willing to further friendly exchanges with Kenya's National Assembly and maintain close cooperation in international and regional parliamentary organizations.

 

He said he hopes the two parliaments will promote relations between the two countries.

 

This year, which sees the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and African countries, is a landmark in the history of Sino-African relations, he said.

 

The Chinese government will host the China-Africa Cooperation Forum in November in Beijing.

 

Wu said China is willing to cooperate with African countries including Kenya, and is looking forward to a successful meeting that will push forward the new strategic partnership between the two sides.

 

Kaparo said Kenya's long-term policy has been to develop Kenya-China relations.

 

Kenya appreciates the achievements that China has made since it began its reform and opening-up policy and is willing to learn from those experiences, he said.

 

Kaparo said Kenya hopes to see more investment from Chinese businessmen and can provide favorable conditions.

 

Besides Beijing, Kaparo will also visit central China's Hunan Province and the southern province of Guangdong, the country's most developed area.

 

On his first visit, Kaparo visited Beijing, China's financial hub Shanghai, and east China's Anhui Province.

 

China and Kenya established diplomatic relations in 1963. In 2005, bilateral trade reached US$475 million, up 29.7 percent year-on-year.

 

(Xinhua News Agency August 22, 2006)