President Uhuru headed to China for a development forum

NAIROBI, KENYA: President Uhuru Kenyatta is expected to join 28 Heads of State and Government in Beijing China for a meeting to discuss global development issues.

The Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation will be held from May 14 to 15.
According to officials, this will be the highest level of international conference held by China since President Xi Jinping put forward the Belt and Road Initiative in September, 2013.

President Xi Jinping will attend the opening ceremony and host the round table summit of the leaders attending the forum.

"The forum will review the outcomes achieved and focus on pooling more consensus, identifying cooperation directions, pushing forward the implementation of projects and improving supportive system," said a statement from the Chinese embassy in Nairobi by Dr. Liu Xianfa

He continued, "President Kenyatta will make African contributions to the forum."
President Kenyatta and Ethiopian Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn are the only African Heads of State and Government invited to represent the continent.

Also, on the sidelines of the Summit, the president and his delegation will hold bilateral talks with his Chinese counterparts.

The high profile forum is expected to attract 1200 participants globally, among them United Nations Secretary General António Guterres, World Bank President Jim Yong Kim and IMF Managing Director Christine Lagarde.