EXPLORATION OF NATURE OF CHINA-KENYA RELATIONS
INTRODUCTION
The increase in china’s economic and political involvement in Africa is arguably the most momentous development on the continent today. Just as China’s importance is growing in Africa so is it in its relations to Kenya. Both Kenya and China are third world countries and their relationship is refered to as south-south relations in global governance. South-south relation is a term used by historical policy makers to describe the exchange of resources, technology and knowledge between developing countries.
China-Kenya relationship has a positive history dating back to 1963 when Kenya gained independence and china established diplomatic relations with Kenya. In the initial days of the establishment, the relationship between the two countries experienced fair development till 1965 when it was lowered to be at the charge d’affaires level and gradually returned to normal at the beginning of 1970s. In more recent years the two countries have engaged in mutual exchange of military knowledge and technology. Important military commanders from both countries have made visits to the other country and in 2005 the then Kenyan president visited Beijing. However despite of military and political interactions trade overshadows all the rest.
ECONOMIC RELATIONS Economic ties between Kenya and China date back to independence. As a British colonial state, and despite the Cold War, Kenya was exporting raw materials to be processed in China in the 1950s and early 1960s: sisal fiber, raw cotton, wattle bark extract, and pyrethrum. In return, Kenya bought semi-processed and finished products from China: base metals, tea, fabrics, fruit preparations, and sundry manufactured goods. In 1963, Kenya’s last year under colonial rule, the volume of trade between the two countries amounted to 9.2 million Kenya shillings, and it was largely in Kenya’s favor: Kenya’s exports were valued at thrice what the country bought from China. In the following year, however, the value of Chinese
The increase in china’s economic and political involvement in Africa is arguably the most momentous development on the continent today. Just as China’s importance is growing in Africa so is it in its relations to Kenya. Both Kenya and China are third world countries and their relationship is refered to as south-south relations in global governance. South-south relation is a term used by historical policy makers to describe the exchange of resources, technology and knowledge between developing countries.
China-Kenya relationship has a positive history dating back to 1963 when Kenya gained independence and china established diplomatic relations with Kenya. In the initial days of the establishment, the relationship between the two countries experienced fair development till 1965 when it was lowered to be at the charge d’affaires level and gradually returned to normal at the beginning of 1970s. In more recent years the two countries have engaged in mutual exchange of military knowledge and technology. Important military commanders from both countries have made visits to the other country and in 2005 the then Kenyan president visited Beijing. However despite of military and political interactions trade overshadows all the rest.
ECONOMIC RELATIONS Economic ties between Kenya and China date back to independence. As a British colonial state, and despite the Cold War, Kenya was exporting raw materials to be processed in China in the 1950s and early 1960s: sisal fiber, raw cotton, wattle bark extract, and pyrethrum. In return, Kenya bought semi-processed and finished products from China: base metals, tea, fabrics, fruit preparations, and sundry manufactured goods. In 1963, Kenya’s last year under colonial rule, the volume of trade between the two countries amounted to 9.2 million Kenya shillings, and it was largely in Kenya’s favor: Kenya’s exports were valued at thrice what the country bought from China. In the following year, however, the value of Chinese
References: Zafar Ali, World Bank Research observer, vol 2, 2007. 3. United Nations Development Program, Kenya development cooperation report 2005