Kenya’s President William Ruto has said Nairobi is better positioned to serve as the mediator between the United States and China.
There is a simmering trade war between US and China, the two largest world economies.
Chinese President Xi Jinping raised tariffs on US goods to 125% after U.S President Donald Trump and raised tariffs on China to 145%.
Speaking in Beijing, China, Ruto said his state visit to China is comparable to his May 2024 state visit to the United States.
Ruto explained that the State visits might mean that Kenya can serve as the link between East and West amid the ongoing tension.
“This visit as the first African state visit to China this year mirrors my 2024 visit to the US The first African state visit in 15 years,” Ruto said.
“Perhaps, symbolically, Kenya can serve as a bridge between East and West, North and South in an era of deepening geopolitical tensions.”
He asked President Jinping to work with African countries to establish a foundation for multilateralism that will serve everyone across the world.
“Let this be our shared legacy that China and Africa through trust, vision and partnership help the foundation for a 21st century multilateralism. that served all humanity,” he said.
Investing in Africa
Ruto said the demographics dynamics indicate that the world should utilize the youthful population in Africa.
He emphasized that capital must flow to Africa where there is an available workforce.
“By 2050 Africa will account for a quarter of the world’s workforce, the same proportion for China today. If the first half of this century belongs to China, the second half belongs to Africa,” he said.
We support a one China policy, a two-state solution in the Middle East and dialogue not escalation in the Russia-Ukraine conflict. Let us choose understanding over confrontation.
Ruto Asks for Changes in UN Security Council
Besides, Ruto asked for changes in the membership of the United Nations (UN) Security Council.
Ruto said America, Europe, Asia-Pacific and Africa should have three permanent members each.
He stated that this will increase the number of permanent members from the current five to twelve.
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Further, Ruto said the security architecture of the world should be representative of the five continental blocks with equal representation for each of the regions.
“Europe already has three members, France, UK and Russia, it seems reasonable to all of us that the membership for each region be set at three so that end up with a total of 12 permanent members,” Ruto said.
“Such a Council will better reflect today’s geopolitical realities and uphold the principle of sovereign equality among nations.”
Also Read: Chinese Private Companies to Create 25,500 Jobs in Kenya
Current Composition
The Council is composed of 15 Members; five permanent and ten non-permanent members elected for two-year terms by the General Assembly
Permanent members are China, France, Russian Federation, the United Kingdom, and the US.
The current ten non-permanent members include Algeria (2025), Denmark (2026), Greece (2026), Guyana (2025), Pakistan (2026), Panama (2026), Republic of Korea (2025), Sierra Leone (2025), Slovenia (2025) and Somalia (2026).
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