President William Ruto has commended China’s President Xi Jinping for his unique contributions to the strengthening of the cooperation between Africa and China.
Speaking during a high level meeting in Beijing, China on Wednesday September 4, 2024, President Ruto noted that China’s Belt and Road Initiative has played a key role in transforming African nations.
“We commend China for its determination to strengthen cooperation with Africa. Through the transformative Belt and Road Initiative and the Four Global Initiatives, we have uplifted people’s lives and led our countries towards sustainable and inclusive growth,” said President Ruto.
He is among African Heads of State attending the 9th Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) Summit in Beijing, China.
The summit brings together African Heads of State, Chinese leaders and the African Union Commission to discuss and strengthen Sino-African relations.
He further explained that China’s initiatives for Africa are strategically conceptualized to tackle a complex spectrum of global challenges, including unemployment, poverty, climate change, inequality, conflict and instability, and to accelerate progress towards the attainment of sustainable development and poverty alleviation.
“As African leaders, we are profoundly concerned that many of the Least Developed Countries are in Africa, and are seized with a strong sense of urgency in establishing a robust foundation for our nations and peoples to achieve a radical turnaround through transformative programmes,” said Ruto.
For instance, Ruto explained that in Kenya, the Belt and Road Initiative has significantly enhanced productivity in both rural and urban areas by facilitating efficient mobility and market access.
“Because of the intentional alignment of these projects with Kenya’s economic development priorities, they continue to deliver substantial benefits in every critical sector from agriculture, manufacturing and trade to environmental protection and information, communication and technology,” he stated.
“The implementation of Belt and Road projects has begun to transform African economies and to spread undeniable investment and other opportunities in sectors like finance, manufacturing and agriculture throughout the BRI ecosystem,” he added.
