Chinese-built railways in Africa become model of cooperation: FM

NAIROBI - Railway lines built by Chinese firms in African countries are becoming a model of China-Africa cooperation in industrial capacity, China's Foreign Minister Wang Yi said during his visit to Kenya on Wednesday.

Wang cited the Nairobi-Mombasa railway line as an example during a joint press conference with his Kenyan counterpart Amina Mohamed after their talks and a meeting with President Uhuru Kenyatta.

The railway line, funded by China and being built by a Chinese company, will run from the Kenyan port of Mombasa to the capital Nairobi, and a new deal has been signed to extend it to the country's western border.

Construction of the modern rail is being carried out in line with Chinese standards with Chinese equipment being used, Wang said.

"Once completed next year, it will be one of the railway lines with the highest standard, quality and cost effectiveness in Africa," he said.

Wang said the railway suited the requirements for Kenya's development and was part of the fruits of China-Kenya cooperation.

Construction of the railway line has created more than 40,000 jobs for locals, with some 20,000 local employees having received training in related skills. It has contributed to about 1.5 percent of Kenya's gross domestic product (GDP), Wang said.

Along the railway, fourteen wildlife passes have been designed to address concerns over the animals' free movement, he added.

Wang said the Chinese-built railway lines had established themselves in many African countries, citing those in Nigeria and Angola and one linking the Tanzanian commercial hub of Addis Ababa with the port of Djibouti.

The Chinese-built railway lines were also entering countries in Asia, Europe and Latin Africa, he said, adding that Chinese standards and Chinese equipment were gaining recognition in more and more countries.