Mudavadi in China for high-level FOCAC ministerial talks

Prime Cabinet Secretary and Cabinet Secretary for Foreign and Diaspora Affairs Musalia Mudavadi has departed for Changsha City, China, to attend the Ministerial Meeting of Coordinators on the Implementation of Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) Follow-Up Actions.

The high-level session will review progress made since the 2024 FOCAC Summit of Heads of State and Government and outline key priorities for the next summit.

At the 2024 Summit in Beijing, Chinese President Xi Jinping pledged over $50 billion in financial assistance to African nations over the next three years, aimed at driving development cooperation, across various sectors in the continent.

“Mudavadi will use the opportunity to further deepen and inject vitality into bilateral relationships between China and Kenya that have spanned over six decades,” stated Mudavadi’s Director of Press, Jacob Ng’etich.

During his visit, Mudavadi is also expected to engage in strategic talks aimed at enhancing Kenya-China relations, which were significantly strengthened following President William Ruto’s State Visit to China in May.

President Ruto’s visit resulted in the signing of numerous Memoranda of Understanding (MOUs) covering a variety of transformative investments, including the extension of the Standard Gauge Railway (SGR) from Kisumu and the dualling of the Nairobi-Malaba Road.

At a regular press briefing ahead of the Ministerial Meeting, Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Lin Jian confirmed that China’s Foreign Minister Wang Yi and the 54 African members of FOCAC will attend the event.

“China will enhance coordination with Africa with a focus on implementing the six-point proposition of jointly advancing modernization and the 10 partnership actions put forward by President Xi, so that people in China and Africa will benefit more from the outcomes of the FOCAC summit,” he said.

“China and Africa have reached extensive common understandings on joining hands to advance modernization and building an all-weather China-Africa community with a shared future for the new era. The China-Africa relationship has been at its best in history,” Lin added.

As part of his itinerary, the Prime Cabinet Secretary will also attend the Fourth China-Africa Economic and Trade Expo and the China (Chongqing)-Africa Investment and Trade Cooperation Forum, both aimed at boosting trade, economic engagement, and investment ties between Kenya and China.

Following his engagements in China, Mudavadi is scheduled to travel to Helsinki, Finland, where he will represent President William Ruto as the Guest of Honour at the prestigious Kultaranta Talks, taking place in the town of Naantali in southwest Finland.