This archive report was first published on 20 May 2020.
China's relationship with Kenya is a complex and multifaceted one, much like the mythical elephant that four blind men tried to describe in an ancient Asian fable.
Despite being separated by 7,889 kilometres, China and Kenya have a long history of cooperation, dating back to the Ming Dynasty when Chinese navigator Zheng He visited Kenya four times.
Formal diplomatic relations between the two countries were established on December 14, 1963, but it wasn't until 1978, when China rolled out its opening up and reform policy under President Deng Xiaoping, that cooperation between the two countries began to accelerate.
Today, over 400 Chinese firms have invested in Kenya, providing employment to 50,000 Kenyans, and the volume of trade between the two countries has increased from $186 million in 2002 to $5.3 billion in 2018, making China Kenya's top partner in terms of trade, investments, construction, and development financing.
However, despite these developments, China remains a mysterious country to many Kenyans, with some blaming it for Kenya's huge debt and others crediting it for Kenya's infrastructure projects.
To reconcile these divergent perceptions and create a more balanced and beneficial cooperation, the two countries need to promote mutual appreciation and understanding, including the exchange of media content, interaction through Confucius Institutes, and the promotion of Mandarin as an optional foreign language.
China, as a rising power with global ambitions, also needs to be more proactive in explaining and demonstrating its intentions and ability to partner with African countries, including Kenya.
By amplifying what works and finding recourse to the grey areas, the two countries can build a more sustainable and beneficial relationship.
