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“This has promoted our continent's productive and competitive potential and strengthened the partnership between Africa and China,” he said.
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He added that BRI has enhanced Africa's connectivity profile which is consistent with the continent’s aspirations.
Image: PCS
President William Ruto told a high-level meeting in China that the implementation of Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) projects has begun to transform African economies.
Ruto said China's global infrastructure development project is spreading “undeniable” investment and other opportunities in sectors like finance, manufacturing, and agriculture throughout the BRI ecosystem.
“This has promoted our continent's productive and competitive potential and strengthened the partnership between Africa and China,” he said.
He added that BRI has enhanced Africa's connectivity profile which is consistent with the continent’s aspirations.
“The nine-project Trans-Africa Highway Network which, together with the Great North Road, constitutes nearly 70,000km of quality highway infrastructure, has radically intensified our continent's transport connectivity, leaving no country or region behind,” he said.
He added that the BRI has significantly transformed Kenya's geostrategic profile, making it a future global hub for logistics, trade, investment, commerce, ICT, diplomacy and associated services.
Ruto said the completion of complementary projects like the Standard Gauge Railway will connect major oceans and relieve the logistical burden on the road transport network.
He added that it will also enhance regional as well as Pan-African integration and radically open up the continent’s investment opportunities.
Ruto noted that the BRI has significantly enhanced productivity in both rural and urban areas in Kenya by facilitating efficient mobility and market access and creating new opportunities for women and youth.
“Because of the intentional alignment of these projects with Kenya’s economic development priorities, they continue to deliver substantial benefits in every critical sector from agriculture, manufacturing and trade to environmental protection and information, communication and technology,” he said.
Ruto thanked the President of the People’s Republic of China Xi Jinping for strengthening the cooperation between Africa and China, particularly through BRI and the Four Global Initiatives, which encompass transformative undertakings in development, security and cultural understanding.
He said the initiatives are strategically conceptualised to complement one another to address global challenges, including unemployment, poverty, climate change, inequality, conflict and instability, and to accelerate progress towards the attainment of sustainable development throughout Africa.
“As African leaders, we are profoundly concerned that many of the least developed countries are in Africa, and are seized with a strong sense of urgency in establishing a robust foundation to achieve a radical turnaround through transformative programmes,” he stated.
He added that there is also a need for enhanced connectivity through the development of essential infrastructure and achievement of peace and security as indispensable fundamental enablers of rapid, inclusive and sustainable growth.