President William Ruto has sent a special congratulatory message to Chinese President Xi Jinping as Kenya moves to deepen its economic ties with Beijing following Cabinet approval of negotiations for a new long-term Economic Partnership for Shared Development.

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The new partnership, approved during Tuesday's Cabinet meeting, is expected to expand trade, attract more investment and improve market access for Kenyan exports as the government seeks to strengthen its economic relationship with one of its biggest development partners.

Ruto's message was delivered by United Democratic Alliance (UDA) Secretary General Hassan Omar Hassan to China's Ambassador to Kenya, Guo Haiyan, during celebrations marking the 105th anniversary of the founding of the Communist Party of China (CPC).

In his message, the President praised China's remarkable transformation over the past century, saying the country had become one of the world's leading economies through sustained development, innovation and poverty reduction.

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"Kenya continues to draw inspiration from China's remarkable development journey as it accelerates the implementation of the Bottom-Up Economic Transformation Agenda (BETA)," Ruto said in the message.

The President further commended Xi's leadership, saying China had made significant progress in science, technology and industrial development while improving the welfare of millions of its citizens.

He expressed confidence that the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership between Kenya and China would continue to grow for the mutual benefit of both countries.

The diplomatic message came as Cabinet authorised the start of negotiations on a long-term Economic Partnership for Shared Development with China .

According to the Cabinet, the proposed agreement seeks to boost bilateral trade, attract greater investment and open more opportunities for Kenyan products in the Chinese market.

Cabinet also approved Kenya's ratification of the Samoa Partnership Agreement, a general cooperation framework between the European Union and member states of the Organisation of African, Caribbean and Pacific States (OACPS).

📰 Source: Kenyans.co.ke