NAIROBI, Sept. 3 (Xinhua) -- Kenya hosted the China (Yunnan)-Kenya Specialty Products Promotion Conference on Wednesday to deepen bilateral economic and trade ties by strengthening links between key industrial sectors.
Organized by the Department of Commerce of China's Yunnan Province, the forum in Nairobi drew government officials, embassy representatives, and business leaders from both countries, including representatives of more than 20 key Chinese enterprises specializing in coffee and motorcycle manufacturing.
Zhou Zhencheng, minister counselor at the Chinese Embassy in Kenya, said enterprises from both sides should make full use of today's platform for exchange and leverage favorable policies, including zero tariffs and trade facilitation measures, with a focus on coffee, motorcycles, and spare parts.
He called on enterprises to establish stable and reliable supply-demand relationships, continuously promote the two-way flow of high-quality specialty products, and turn policy opportunities into orders, projects, and long-term, stable, mutually beneficial cooperation.
Erastus Mwencha, former deputy chairperson of the African Union Commission, said the trade fair provided an opportunity to build partnerships, deepen commercial relationships and identify practical avenues for cooperation between Kenyan and Chinese enterprises.
Erick Rutto, president of the Kenya National Chamber of Commerce and Industry, said the forum marked a significant step toward expanding market access for Kenyan value-added products while fostering joint ventures.
Li Yi, deputy director general of the Department of Commerce of China's Yunnan Province, said the promotion conference will focus on facilitating the procurement of high-quality green coffee beans and work to build a closed-loop cooperation model featuring high-quality Kenyan raw materials, advanced processing in Yunnan, and markets in China and around the world.
The two sides will work together to develop distinctive coffee brands and jointly explore global consumer markets, achieving complementary resources and shared value, she added. ■