Kenyan leader expects direct flights to China to boost bilateral ties

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Kenyan leader expects direct flights to China to boost bilateral ties

(Xinhua) 18:52, November 04, 2013

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NAIROBI, Nov. 4 -- Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta said Monday the planned introduction of non-stop flights between Nairobi and Chinese business hub Guangzhou will boost bilateral relations.

Kenyatta said the direct flights by Kenya Airways to the Asian country present a golden chance to deepen bilateral partnership with China, which is one of Kenya's leading cultural, diplomatic and economic development partners.

"The introduction of direct flights to China is part of our strategy to continually strengthen our ties with the Far East," he said during the aircraft naming ceremony in Nairobi.

Speaking in Nairobi, Kenyatta said during his state visit to China earlier this year, he was seized with the subject of deeper relations, and especially people-to-people contact, which he said, is at the heart of stronger partnerships.

"Our desire is to attract just 0.1 percent of China's vast population to Kenya as tourists. That would transform our tourist numbers and revenues," Kenyatta said.

Kenya Airways, one of the most successful airlines in Africa, has been strengthening its long haul capability, paving the way for the introduction of new continental routes.

The airline had earlier announced plans to increase its destinations to China from the current two to six as it seeks to tap into the growing passenger and cargo travel between China and Africa.

（Editor：LiXiang、Gao Yinan）