In the morning of May 11 local time, Premier Li Keqiang and President Uhuru Kenyatta of Kenya jointly met the press at the State House in Nairobi, introducing the China-Africa cooperation in the construction of the Mombasa-Nairobi railway. Sate leaders of the East African region including President Yoweri Museveni of Uganda, President Paul Kagame of Rwanda and President Salva Kiir Mayardit of the South Sudan attended the event.

Li Keqiang said that today we have jointly witnessed the signing of the agreement on the important project of the Mombasa-Nairobi railway. This is just a good start, and China is willing to work together with Kenya to make this railway not only a promoter of the interconnection in the East Africa sub-region but also a model of the development of three-dimensional transportation network in East Africa.

Li Keqiang pointed out that the African countries need the strong support of the infrastructures during their economic take-off, while China boasts mature experience and spare capacity in this field. China’s equipments hold reliable quality guarantee and advantage in cost-performance. China-Africa cooperation is not only equal but also win-win. We require the Chinese enterprises to design and implement this project elaborately so as to provide high-quality equipments that meet Africa’s demand. Meanwhile, we require the Chinese enterprises to help expand local employment and focus on training local employees to equip them with necessary operation and management experience. In the operation process, the Chinese enterprises should abide by local laws, respect local customs and fulfill due social responsibilities.

Li Keqiang pointed out that China-Africa cooperation lies not only in projects but also in people-to-people exchanges and heart-to-heart communication. China is the largest developing country in the world, and Africa is a continent with the most developing countries. The two major developing economies feature complementary advantages, mutual opportunities and common development, which not only bring direct benefits to over two billion people of both sides but will also greatly change the development pattern of the world.

President Kenyatta of Kenya and President Museveni of Uganda made remarks respectively. They said that the Mombasa-Nairobi railway bears great and far-reaching significance in promoting the interconnection and sub-regional integration process in East Africa. It is a concrete measure taken by both Africa and China to implement the “461” cooperation framework proposed by Premier Li Keqiang in his speech at the headquarters of the African Union (AU). It fully demonstrates China’s adherence to its commitment and the tremendous strength in China-Africa solidarity and cooperation. With China being an equal, sincere and reliable friend, the African countries are bound to achieve their great aspirations of national development and construction for the benefits of their peoples.