China’s number 8 powerful official is on a rare trip to Africa (March 22-30) a move that has placed the West on careful monitoring.
China’s Vice President Han Zheng arrived in Nairobi Kenya to kick off his Africa working trip, he will proceed to South Africa and Seychelles.
Zheng will be in Kenya for four days for the state visit.
“The visit will feature a series of high-level engagements focused on strengthening collaboration in key sectors, expanding trade and investment, and deepening the Kenya–China Comprehensive Strategic Partnership,” said, Kenya’s Foreign Affairs Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi.
China’s foreign ministry said, “China and Kenya form a community with a shared future in the new era.”
The visit follows formal invitations from Deputy President Kithure Kindiki, South African Deputy President Paul Mashatile, and Seychelles Vice President Sebastien Pillay.
What Geopolitical experts say
Han Zheng is meeting deputy presidents and vice presidents — Kithure Kindiki in Kenya, Paul Mashatile in South Africa and Sebastien Pillay in Seychelles.
His vice-presidential portfolio is, by design, a precision instrument of statecraft deployed where President Xi Jinping wants a senior, trusted face.
China is building relationships with the people who will potentially inherit power.
This is a message about continuity. Deputies often manage the institutional machinery of bilateral relations, especially economic affairs. A VP-to-VP meeting locks in frameworks at the working architecture level, insulating them from the political volatility of election cycles.
China has been Africa’s largest trading partner for 16 straight years. In 2024, trade between China and African countries hit $295.6 billion — a 4.8 percent increase compared to the previous year — marking a new record for the fourth year in a row.
Kenya, South Africa and Seychelles each serve as key points in the network supporting this relationship.
Kenya acts as a logistics gateway and regional hub, South Africa as a multilateral centre of political and economic influence, and Seychelles as a strategic position in one of the world’s most important maritime corridors.
Kenya’s most visible symbol of China–Africa cooperation is the Standard Gauge Railway (SGR). SGR revenue climbed 18.6 percent to Sh21.4 billion in 2025, lifted by steady growth in cargo haulage and a rebound in passenger traffic, with freight volumes rising 14.6 percent to 7.5 million tonnes and passenger numbers reaching 2.7 million travellers.
The visit coincides with the resumption of construction of the Standard Gauge Railway (SGR), which will be extended from Naivasha to Kisumu and onward to Malaba. The contract has been awarded to a Chinese firm.
“The SGR extension will position Kenya as the regional trade and logistics hub, linking Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi, South Sudan, and the Democratic Republic of Congo to the Port of Mombasa while unlocking the economic potential of Western Kenya,” Kenya President William Ruto said.
