The newly appointed Chinese envoy to the Horn of Africa, Xue Bing is set to visit the country this week as part of his official African tour.
The diplomat who is on an official visit to the region is expected to pay a courtesy call on President Uhuru Kenyatta and Cabinet Secretary, Ministry of Foreign Affairs Ambassador Raychelle Omamo on Monday next week.
According to MFA, Bing will also meet the Principal Secretary for Foreign Affairs Amb. Macharia Kamau, on Friday March 18 and thereafter engage and consult other stakeholders and practitioners of peace and security.
The veteran diplomat was appointed to the newly created post in February as promised by Foreign Minister Wang Yi while on a trip to Kenya.
In January this year, while on a working visit in Mombasa, China’s Foreign Minister Wang Yi, announced that Beijing would appoint a special envoy for the Horn of Africa, whose suggested brief includes seeking to understand the region better and work jointly with Horn countries to convene and deliberate on the nexus between peace, stability and development.
According to the Chinese Embassy in Nairobi, Envoy Bing previously served at the Department of North American and Oceanian Affairs of Ministry of Foreign Affairs of China, Embassy of China in Fiji, Embassy of China in New Zealand, Consulate General of China in Los Angeles, Embassy of China in Kenya and Embassy of China in Australia.
From 2014 to 2016, he was the Consul-General of China in Toronto. He was the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the People’s Republic of China to the Independent State of Papua New Guinea from 2016 to 2021.
“The new envoy arrives in Kenya to build on existing initiatives and efforts towards finding solutions to the challenges facing the region including conflict and displacements and climate variances that need humanitarian assistance,” MFA said in a statement.
The Chinese Government has in the last 10 years extended considerable support to Kenya’s infrastructure development.
“The Government looks forward to the holding of fruitful exchanges of ideas and discussions that will lead to sustainable peace and security in the Horn of Africa” added MFA.
During the visit by Wang, the two countries signed six agreements to further cement the Comprehensive Strategic Cooperation Partnership between Kenya and China.