Speaker Amason Kingi, Chinese envoy hail thriving ties between Nairobi and Beijing
Speaker of the Senate Amason Jeffah Kingi (left) with the Chinese Ambassador to Kenya His Excellency Zhou Pingjian (centre), during a courtesy call at the Senate on August 8, 2023. The purpose of the visit was to introduce H.E. Zhang Zhizhong (right), Minister Counsellor and new Deputy Chief of Mission at the Chinese Embassy in Nairobi, to the Speaker.
Chinese nationals are increasingly turning to Kenya as their preferred destination for tourism and commercial engagements, Chinese Ambassador to Kenya, His Excellency Zhou Pingjian, has said.
More and more Chinese tourists and trade delegations are arriving to sample Kenya’s tourism attractions, key among them the sandy beaches at the Coast and the famous wildlife in the national parks, the envoy said.
This, coupled with the already large number of Chinese investors and professionals working locally, makes Kenya a strategic partner and friend of the People’s Republic of China, the envoy added.
“Hon Speaker, there are so many Chinese delegations visiting Kenya. Wherever I go in this country, I see Chinese. This demonstrates that they love Kenya,” said the Ambassador.
The Ambassador spoke when he paid a courtesy call on the Speaker of the Senate Amason Jeffah Kingi, Tuesday evening.
The purpose of the diplomats’ visit was to introduce to Speaker Kingi, the new Deputy Chief of Mission at the Chinese Embassy in Nairobi and Minister Counsellor, H.E. Zhang Zhizhong. Mr Zhang will serve in the position for a period of four years.
Speaker of the Senate Amason Jeffah Kingi (right) with the Chinese Ambassador to Kenya His Excellency Zhou Pingjian (centre) and H.E. Zhang Zhizhong-Minister Counsellor and new Deputy Chief of Mission at the Chinese Embassy in Nairobi during a courtesy call at the Senate on August 8, 2023.
“The Chinese Embassy remains committed to working with Kenya to see how we can establish more co-operation in the tourism sector. We all know that Kenya is famous for its national parks teeming with wildlife that have made it a tourist destination,” the Ambassador said.
He also revealed that his government was committed to supporting the Kenya Kwanza Government in realising its agenda of bettering lives of Kenyans through the five economic pillars, namely tourism and agriculture, wholesale and retail trade, manufacturing, IT-enabled services, and financial services.
While receiving Mr Zhang, the Speaker of the Senate, wished him a fruitful tour of duty, assuring him that Kenya was a great country to work in, due to its citizens’ unmatched hospitality.
“Our hospitality is second to none. You'll enjoy working in this country,” Speaker Kingi told Mr Zhang.
Mr Kingi hailed the thriving ties between China and Kenya and reiterated Parliament of Kenya’s commitment to buttress and support them through relevant legislative interventions.
He assured the Chinese team of the Government of Kenya’s firm resolve to protect investments – both foreign and local – for a stable economy and country.
Mr Kingi said the large number of Chinese nationals in Kenya was testament to its friendliness as an investment destination.
“China has shown a great inclination to invest in this country. With this interest and partnership, we will see more engagements between our two nations and our people,” Mr Kingi said.
The Speaker further said China and Kenya had a lot to celebrate in their relations and enjoy links stretching back centuries, occasioned by the ancient sea trade. These resulted in Chinese people settling at the coast where their culture remains evident to date.
