(Keynote Speech by Amb. Guo Haiyan, at the Seminar on China-Kenya People-to-People Connectivity hosted by the Star Publications Limited on June 11, 2026)
Dear Mr. Mustafa Ibrahim, Deputy Director General for Policy, Research and Strategic Analysis,
Dear Mr.Paul Ilado, Editorial Director of Star Publication Limited,
Dear Mr. David Omwoyo, Chief Executive Officer of Media Council of Kenya,
Dear Ms.Linda Bach, Chief Executive Officer of Kenya Editors’ Guild,
Dear Mr. Erick Oduor, Secretary-General of The Kenya Union of Journalists
Ladies and
gentlemen, and dear friends,
It is my great
pleasure to attend today’s seminar at the invitation of the Star Publications
Limited, to join the friends who, as media veterans, are dedicated to fostering
China-Kenya friendship, and to discuss this very important theme, namely, media’s
role in fostering people-to-people connectivity and empowering China-Kenya
relations.
First of all, I would like to extend my warm congratulations to the seminar, and extend my sincere appreciation and pay high tribute to media houses long committed to telling the stories of China-Kenya cooperation and spreading the voice of China-Kenya friendship as well as editors and reporters at the front line of media.
This year marks the 70th anniversary of diplomatic relations between China and Africa and the China-Africa Year of People-to-People exchanges designated by leaders of both sides. 70 years ago, China and Africa joined hands in the pursuit of independence and self-determination. 70 years on, China-Africa friendship has grown stronger in the struggle against imperialism and colonialism, and has been growing deeper in the contemporary trend of development and rejuvenation.
The purpose of the China-Africa Year of People-to-People Exchanges is to relay the baton of friendship from generation to generation, to endear Chinese and African peoples to each other, to broaden China-Africa cooperation, and to deepen China-Africa friendship. The Year of People-to-People Exchanges is the festival of Chinese and African peoples and the exhibition of the fruits of China-Africa cooperation.
Both sides will jointly hold nearly 600 exchanges activities, pool the strengths of youth, culture and media, and cover various areas of China-Africa exchanges with the view to enhancing the sense of fulfillment and belonging among Chinese and African peoples. Today’s seminar is an important activity under the framework of China-Africa Year of People-to-People Exchanges. I believe that it will play a vigorous role in enhancing China-Kenya and China-Africa friendship.
Ladies and gentlemen, and dear friends,
Exchanges enrich civilizations, and connectivity brings the peoples closer. In the world today where changes unseen in a century are evolving at a faster pace, cultural estrangement, perception bias, and noises in public opinion still exist. This is why understanding and mutual trust among different civilizations and countries are more precious than ever.
In 2023, President Xi Jinping put forward the Global Civilization Initiative(GCI) which advocates respect for the diversity of civilizations, common values of humanity, inheritance and innovation of civilizations and international people-to-people exchanges, contributing Chinese wisdom to tackling the challenges of civilizational conflict and promoting the progress of human civilization.
This important initiative articulates the true meaning of civilization, namely, every civilization has its own beauty, and we should appreciate the beauty of other civilizations. Only by doing so can we build a world of great harmony. This important initiative also shatters the misconceptions of civilizational hierarchy or clash of civilizations. This initiative emphasizes transcending estrangement with exchanges and overcoming conflicts with mutual learning, thereby charting the course for people-to-people exchanges and media communication in the new era.
China has always been the promoter of exchanges among civilizations, and holds people-to-people connectivity as the cornerstone of relations with other countries. China has been sincerely enhancing mutual understanding and close bonds between Chinese people and people of all countries through exchanges. Africa is the cradle of the human civilization, the key emerging force on the international stage and the strategic anchor of China’s foreign policy. As an important African country, the portal to Eastern Africa, and China’s important partner in Belt and Road cooperation, Kenya holds a special and important position in China’s diplomacy.
Since 1963 when the two countries established diplomatic relations, China-Kenya relations have withstood the changes of the international landscape, marched forward steadily and upgraded along the way. During President Ruto’s state visit to China in 2025, the two heads of State agreed to elevate the bilateral relations to China-Kenya community with a shared future for the new era, ushering China-Kenya relations into the new phase of all-around,in-depth and high-quality development. Looking back at the path of China-Kenya relations, people-to-people exchanges have always been at the forefront, serving as the popular foundation for the steady and sustained progress of bilateral relations.We can safely say that people-to-people connectivity is the spiritual bond for fostering long standing China-Kenya friendship, deepening bilateral cooperation across the board and building the China-Kenya community of shared future for new era.
Ladies and gentlemen, and dear friends,
Media is playing a more prominent role in international relations with the deepening of globalization and rapid progress of information technology. Media is no longer merely the tool for information dissemination, but more of an important means to build the image of a country and enhance international cooperation. Now China-Kenya relations are at the crucial moment of pivoting to higher stage, broader sphere and deeper level. Building China-Kenya community with a shared future for the new era requires more solid political mutual trust, more fruitful cooperation outcomes, and higher level people-to-people connectivity.
As an important force for connecting cultures and forging consensus, media plays an important role in invigorating China-Kenya people-to-people exchanges and enhancing people-to-people connectivity. Meanwhile, we have to be aware that information barriers, perceptional biases and one-sided interpretations still exist in international media and public discourse. Some media, western media in particular, distort China-Kenya friendship and smear China-Kenya cooperation, hurting the mutual understanding and connectivity between the peoples of China and Kenya. This is against the mission of China-Kenya community with a shared future for the new era, nor is it in line with the current state of China-Kenya friendly cooperation.
It is the shared responsibility and mission for both Chinese and Kenyan media to produce timely, accurate, objective reporting on China, Kenya and China-Kenya relations, to convey both ways positive and friendly messages from the perspective of the new era, to lend support to enhancing people-to-people connectivity and building a community with a shared future for the new era. I would like to avail myself of this opportunity to put forward four proposals on how media can better play its role in enhancing people-to-people exchanges to meet the requirements of developing China-Kenya relations.
First, media should be the honest record keeper of China-Kenya friendship. Authenticity is the lifeline of news reporting and the bottom line that media should uphold. The essence of China-Kenya cooperation is win-win and mutually beneficial outcomes which broadly lift the well being of the two peoples. I hope that Chinese and Kenyan media tell more warm stories on the benefits, deeper understanding and closer bonds the two peoples enjoy, break stereotypes with real examples with vivid details, and counter the biases and vilification by a handful of media. Reporting on China-Kenya cooperation should be based on facts and should not be distorted, exaggerated, or hyped up groundlessly.
Second, media should be disseminator of diversified cultures. Chinese and Kenyan cultures have their respective distinctive features and appeal. At the same time, they are complimentary and mutually enhancing. I hope that media of the two countries draw on the Global Civilization Initiative and commit themselves to strengthening inter-cultural exchanges and jointly exploring the common ground between the two cultures.
Showcasing the two countries to each other will enable Chinese people to appreciate Kenya’s historical heritage, natural beauty and vigor of development, and enable the Kenyan people to understand China’s cultural philosophy, development path and sincerity for cooperation, in this way promoting the mutual learning and shared prosperity between Chinese and Kenyan cultures.
Third, media should be the narrator of stories of our times. New media has now become an important front for international communication and people-to-people exchanges. I hope that media of the two countries adapt to the trend of transformation, break down traditional communication barriers, innovate communication language, forms and channels, adopt the perspectives, narratives and expressions of ordinary people, the youth in particular, leverage new communication vehicles such as short form videos, and focus on sectors such as youth, women and grassroots, to make storytelling on China-Kenya friendship more vivid, fresh and compelling and make the connectivity take roots in the hearts of Chinese and Kenyan people.
Fourth, media should be the promoter of jointly building a community with a shared future. Media cooperation is an integral part of China-Kenya people-to-people exchanges, and also the important driving force of bilateral relations.
I hope that media of both countries set up regular cooperation mechanisms and platforms for exchanges, conduct two-way visits, discussions and content sharing, deepen cooperation in areas such as content creation, talent development, program production and operation of new media, jointly conduct feature interviews, creation of premium content and build the communication matrix for China-Kenya people-to-people exchanges. We should make media cooperation the driving force for bilateral exchanges across sectors such as culture, tourism and youth, and make people-to-people exchanges the empowering force for practical cooperation.
Ladies and gentleman, and dear friends,
Civilizations transcend borders, and mutual understanding fosters close bonds. The Global Civilization Initiative charts the course for mutual learning among civilizations. Building the China-Kenya community with a shared future creates a broad platform for deepening bilateral people-to-people exchanges. The power of media lies in documenting our times, witnessing the friendship, spreading good will and connecting people’s hearts.
The Chinese embassy in Kenya will continue to vigorously support the exchanges and cooperation between Chinese and Kenyan media, and facilitate reporting on China-Kenya relations and bilateral people-to-people exchanges. I sincerely hope that media of the two countries join force in telling stories on China-Kenya friendship, solidifying the foundation of China-Kenya people-to-people connectivity, and make more contributions to jointly building China-Kenya community with a shared future for the new era.
As I conclude, I would like to wish this seminar a great success and wish friends from the media all the best.
Thank you.
Chinese Ambassador Guo Haiyan
