On December 14, 2023, President Xi Jinping exchanged congratulatory messages with Kenyan President William Samoei Ruto in celebration of the 60th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries.

Xi Jinping pointed out that since the establishment of diplomatic ties 60 years ago, China and Kenya have always worked side by side for development, and become politically trustworthy good friends and good partners for win-win economic cooperation. In recent years, the two sides have carried out frequent high-level exchanges, deepened political mutual trust, and achieved fruitful outcomes in Belt and Road cooperation, thereby becoming pacesetters of China-Africa cooperation. This has not only brought benefits to the two peoples, but also set a fine example of China-Africa cooperation. President Xi noted that when President Ruto attended the third Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation in Beijing in October this year, he and Ruto reached important common understandings on the future development of bilateral relations. He highly values the development of China-Kenya relations,and stands ready to work with President Ruto to take the 60th anniversary of diplomatic relations as a new starting point to blaze a distinctive path of cooperation between  the two countries as they strive for their respective development and revitalization, and to enrich the China-Kenya comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership to jointly build an even closer China-Kenya community with a shared future in the new era.

Ruto said that since the establishment of diplomatic relations 60 years ago, Kenya and China have worked together to navigate the changing international landscape, respected and supported each other, maintained friendly cooperation, and stood in solidarity and mutual assistance, forging an even stronger partnership over the time. Bilateral economic cooperation and cultural exchanges have yielded fruitful results. Kenya is ready to work with China to follow through on the outcomes of the third Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation and the China-Africa Leaders' Dialogue in Johannesburg so that bilateral relations will embrace a bright future of sustained development, prosperity, friendship and common progress.