On the evening of October 18, 2023, President Xi Jinping met at the Great Hall of the People with Kenyan President William Ruto who is in China to attend the third Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation.

Xi pointed out that China and Kenya have a long history of friendship. Over the past 60 years since the establishment of diplomatic relations, the two countries have treated each other as equals and supported each other, and have become good friends of mutual trust and good partners for win-win cooperation. In recent years, China and Kenya have cooperated in the implementation of a large number of projects under the Belt and Road Initiative such as the Mombasa-Nairobi Railway and the oil terminal at Mombasa Port, delivering fruitful results in Kenya, and giving the people of the two countries greater sense of gains. China approaches its relationship with Kenya from a strategic and long-term perspective, and is ready to work with Kenya to promote the continued development of the comprehensive strategic partnership between the two countries.

Xi emphasized that China supports Kenya's independent exploration of its own path of modernization in line with the country's actual situation, and is ready to carry out exchanges of experience in governance with Kenya and step up support to each other. Kenya is welcome to make full use of trade promotion initiatives and platforms such as the "green channel" for African agricultural product exports to China, share in China's market and the dividends of China's opening up, and increase the export of high-quality products of Kenyan features to China. China encourages more Chinese enterprises to invest in Kenya, expand cooperation in digital economy, new energy and other fields, and help Kenya realize green development. The two sides should make good use of such platforms as the Confucius Institute and Luban Workshop to deepen cooperation and cultural exchanges at sub-national level. The two sides also need to strengthen communication and collaboration in multilateral settings to practice true multilateralism and safeguard the common interests of developing countries.

Ruto congratulated China on successfully holding the third Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation. He said that over the past 60 years since Kenya and China established diplomatic relations, the two sides have always trusted and respected each other. Kenya has benefited greatly from cooperation with China, especially since President Xi Jinping put forward the Belt and Road Initiative. Important projects such as the Mombasa-Nairobi Railway have greatly enhanced Kenya's economic development capacity and improved the well-being of its people. Ruto expressed the confidence that the eight major steps proposed by President Xi Jinping for high-quality Belt and Road cooperation will further help Kenya and Africa achieve industrialization, agricultural modernization and economic integration. Kenya is firmly committed to the one-China policy, supports China's rightful position on human rights and other issues, and hopes to learn from China's successful experience in development, and deepen practical cooperation and people-to-people exchanges with China to promote steady development of Kenya-China comprehensive strategic partnership as well as Africa-China relations.

Cai Qi and Wang Yi attended the meeting.