BEIJING – Kenya remains committed to One-China policy, President Ruto said during bilateral talks with Xi Jinping in Beijing, China.
Even as the two leaders discussed infrastructure development, trade and cooperation in digital economy, the one-China policy seems to have heavily featured in the talks.
“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,” a brief released by the China Foreign Affairs Ministry after the bilateral meeting read in part.
According to the brief, President Ruto said that over the past 60 years since Kenya and China established diplomatic relations, the two sides have always trusted and respected each other.
On his part, President 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 exchange experience in governance with Kenya.
The two sides also agreed to 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.
China has made it clear that Taiwan remains its number on foreign policy priority and has vowed to eventually unify it with the mainland.
The Taiwan issue has also further straining of US-China relations, especially after House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi visited Taipei in August 2022.
While China proposed the “one country, two systems” option, allowing Taiwan significant autonomy if it agreed to come under Beijing’s control as did Hong Kong in 1997, Taipei has rejected the proposal.
Countries that have renounced recognition of Taiwan since 2016 include Kiribati, Solomon Islands, Dominican Republic, Burkina Faso, El Salvador, Panama, and São Tomé and Príncipe, and have relocated their diplomatic missions to Beijing.
The leaders of Solomons Islands and Honduras this year paid a state visit to China.
Although Kenya has historically maintained a One-China policy, recent events in Nairobi could have caught the attention of Beijing.
In May, former Kenya National Chamber of Commerce and Industry President Richard Ngatia hosted Chenhwa Lou, a Taiwan Representative of what KNCC termed in its press release as “the Republic of Somaliland also affiliated to Kenya”, to discuss trade and investment.
Somaliland is a breakaway autonomous region in northern Somalia that declared independence in 1991. Like Taiwan case with China, it maintains, it is independent of Somalia. It has in recent years pushed for international recognition.
A statement issued by the KNCCI after the meeting said the Chamber highlighted the importance of strengthening ties between Kenya and Taiwan in trade and investment.
“He [Ngatia] emphasized that Kenya is an attractive destination for foreign investment, and Taiwanese investors can benefit greatly from the country’s strategic location, skilled workforce, and abundant natural resources.
“Ambassador Chenhwa Lou, on the other hand, expressed his country’s interest in exploring business opportunities in Kenya. He noted that Taiwan has expertise in various sectors, including healthcare, technology, manufacturing, value addition, and e-mobility, and is keen to share this knowledge with Kenyan businesses,” the statement said.
Both parties agreed to collaborate further to promote trade and investment between “the two countries. They identified key areas of cooperation, including technology transfer, joint ventures, scholarships, and capacity building”, it added.
The meeting was a follow-up from a networking dinner hosted by Chenhwa for KNCCI members led by then-chamber First Vice President Dr. Erick Rutto, who is now the president, to engage on available opportunities between Kenya and Taiwan markets.
It is against this background that the Ngatia- Chenhwa meeting is seen in as far as the need to restate Kenya’s position on Taiwan is concerned.
KENYA-SOMALILAND
In January 2022, then Foreign Affairs Cabinet Secretary Raychelle Omamo said Kenya considers Somalia one entity with federal regions under autonomous administrations.
But in June of that year, Kenya’s Foreign Affairs ministry was forced to send a Note Verbale, regretting “the inadvertent and inappropriate” presence of Somaliland’s flag at [then] President Uhuru Kenyatta’s annual diplomatic address in Nairobi.
Reacting to Somalia Ambassador to Kenya Mohamud Ahmed Nur’s walkout and formal protest, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said it affirms its recognition of the sovereignty of “one Federal Somalia Government and the integrity of the Federal Somali state”.
Ambassador Ahmed Nur walked out of the Diplomatic Corps meeting over the presence of Somaliland’s representative Mohamed Barawani at State House Nairobi.
TAIWAN-SOMALILAND
There is a common denominator as far as Somaliland and Taiwan are concerned.
“The de facto basis for the one-China principle is unshakable. Taiwan has belonged to China since ancient times. The earliest references to this effect date back to the year 230,” Beijing maintains.
It further notes, “The de jure basis for the one-China principle is unshakable. In 1943, the Cairo Declaration was issued by the Chinese, US, and British governments, stipulating that Japan should return to China all the territories it had stolen from China, including Taiwan and the Penghu Islands”.
President Xi Jinping has maintained that the 1992 Consensus reflects an agreement that “the two sides of the strait belong to one China and would work together to seek national reunification.”
It is against this background that the Ngatia- Chenhwa meeting is seen in as far as the need to restate Kenya’s position on Taiwan is concerned.
Kenya does not have official relations with Taiwan and considers the island part of China, in line with Beijing’s position. It, however, hosts the Taiwan Trade Centre, Nairobi.
Founded in 1970, TAITRA describes itself as “Taiwan’s foremost non-profit trade promoting organization” that is “sponsored by the government and industry organizations” to assist enterprises in expanding their global reach.
DEPORTATION OF TAIWANESE
In April 2016, Kenya deported two groups of Taiwanese to China after they were acquitted in a cybercrime case, a move that drew protestations from Taipei.
The Kenyan government said the people were in Kenya illegally and were being sent back to where they had come from.
Amina Mohamed, the Foreign Minister at the time told Reuters that Kenya doesn’t have official relations with Taiwan.
“We believe in the ‘One China’ policy. We have diplomatic relations with China. We haven’t seen the official protest, we are hearing it from the media,” Amina said.
