Why is this railway attracting attention?, Director of Wang Yi's Visit to Kenya | Central Foreign Affairs Office | Kenya
On July 22, Kenyan President Luto met with Wang Yi, a member of the Political Bureau of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China and Director of the Central Foreign Affairs Office, who was visiting Kenya in Nairobi. Luto stated that since the establishment of diplomatic relations between Kenya and China 60 years ago, the relationship between the two countries has developed smoothly, and strengthening friendly cooperation with China has become a consensus among all sectors of Kenya. The Kenyan side highly appreciates China's consistent attitude of mutual respect in its exchanges with Kenya. The Chinese side has provided valuable assistance to Kenya's infrastructure construction through partnership, and the landmark project, the Mombasa Nairobi Railway, has completely changed the national landscape of Kenya. Regarding the diplomatic story behind this railway, Changjiang News connects Professor Song Wei from the School of International Relations at Beijing Foreign Studies University to provide you with an in-depth interpretation.
Changjiang News: Kenyan President Luto stated during a meeting with Wang Yi, Director of the Central Foreign Affairs Office, that China has provided valuable assistance to Kenya's infrastructure construction, and the iconic project, the Mombasa Nairobi Railway, has completely changed the face of Kenya. In your opinion, why does the Inner Mongolia Railway receive such high praise?
Song Wei: Mainly due to the completion and opening of the Inner Mongolia Railway, it has produced tangible development effects and improved local people's livelihoods. Previously, it took more than ten hours of commuting from Mombasa to Nairobi, but the Mombasa Nairobi Railway shortened the commuting time between the two places to over four hours. The construction of the Inner Mongolia Railway has also effectively promoted the integration of the East African region. We know that the Port of Mombasa is one of the most important ports in the world, connecting more than 80 important ports worldwide. Through the transportation of the Inner Mongolia Railway, important export products from multiple countries in East Africa can be transported to various parts of the world through the Port of Mombasa. The Inner Mongolia Railway can truly be called the "lifeline of East African countries", and at the same time, it has achieved breakthroughs and innovations in investment, construction, and operation integration.
Changjiang News: Represented by the Inner Mongolia Railway, China and African countries treat each other equally and achieve mutual benefit, becoming a model of South South cooperation. What is your evaluation of this? Under the framework of jointly building the "the Belt and Road" and the Forum on China Africa Cooperation, what roles will China and Africa play in international affairs?
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Song Wei: Since the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Kenya, China has provided Kenya with a large amount of development support. With China's support, Kenya has built a series of infrastructure projects such as hospitals, sports centers, and factories. China's support has also effectively supported Kenya's economic independence and independent development. We know that there have been multiple armed conflicts in the Tigray region of the Horn of Africa in recent years. Faced with internal conflicts in Africa, China and Kenya firmly support relevant parties and are able to independently resolve internal conflicts in Africa. On the issue of the Horn of Africa, China has also provided a large amount of economic assistance to the local poor. At the same time, we will work with Kenya to promote relevant parties, resolve conflicts through negotiations, and jointly implement the "Horn of Africa Peace Concept". We firmly support multilateralism, respect national sovereignty, and hope that the United Nations can play a leading role in international conflicts, opposing hegemonism and power politics. China and Africa have become staunch supporters of world peace and development through practical actions.