National flag of the Republic of Kenya

National emblem of the Republic of Kenya

    The Republic of Kenya, located in Eastern Africa, covers an area of 580,000 square km and has a population of 33.6 million belonging to 42 groups including Kikuyu, Luhya, Luo, and Kalenjin. Most Kenyans are Protestants, Catholics, Muslims, or believers in primitive religions. Swahili is the official language and English is also widely used. Nairobi is the national capital, and Mwai Kibaki is the current president.

    China established diplomatic relations with Kenya on Dec. 14, 1963. The last decade has seen a rapid development of relations between the two countries. Then Chinese Premier Zhu Rongji, top legislator Wu Bangguo and President Hu Jintao visited Kenya in 2002, 2004 and 2006, respectively. Kenya's President Mwai Kibaki visited China in 2005. Kenya is a tourism destination for Chinese tourists. Bilateral Trade reached 475 million U.S. dollars in 2005.