Africa's key role in the web of connections

Invitations to Belt and Road forum offer an indication of the importance attached to nations from continent

Chinese President Xi Jinping, on his first visit to Africa in 2013, spoke about Sino-African relations and how this relationship could begin a fast track of inclusive and mutual development. This has been fostered by the Belt and Road Initiative, which represents a potential "win-win" for both sides - China and the African continent at large.

The Belt and Road Initiative was a proposal set forth by President Xi in September 2013. It lays emphasis on mutual cooperation that will deepen social and cultural exchanges among countries so they can forge infrastructure and facility networks and improve trade relations.

The Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation will be held in China on May 14 and 15, and is expected to attract more than 1,200 participants. This is the first time that dignitaries will have attended such a conference since the initiative was proposed by Xi. Africa, being an important partner for China, will be represented by Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta and Ethiopian Prime Minister Haile Mariam Desalegn. All eyes will be on them, as the conference will highlight the strength of the Sino-African relations and the future of the continent. The forum will be closely watched by African economists and political strategists, as the Belt and Road Initiative offers a crucial opportunity to deepen Sino-African relations and provide a platform for China to entrench itself as a true ally and friend.

The Belt and Road Initiative is a building block with a bright future of intensifying China-Africa economic relations. The initiative is garnering global attention as Africa is on an upward economic path and China is investing in the untapped potential the continent holds, with an emphasis on youth. China has been in Africa since the 14th century, when its ships visited the eastern coast of the continent, arriving at a port that is now part of Kenya. This is the sole reason that Kenya is China's nominated hub for the Belt and Road Initiative, as well as the reason the Kenyan president's attendance is key.

The Belt and Road Initiative has been centered around infrastructure development, with much focus put on regional transportation and connectivity projects. Africa needs capital for its infrastructure, and the initiative offers a solution. Through funding infrastructure development, China could foster the economic growth of African nations as well as transfer its labor-intensive industries to Africa. This might not be a main component of the Belt and Road Initiative, but it has become an area of focus in Beijing, where links are being made between the two variables.

According to Xinhua News Agency, three African countries are already involved in the Belt and Road Initiative and are paving the way for the Silk Road from Asia into Africa. They are Kenya, Djibouti and Egypt. Egypt is the only African nation that has officially signed bilateral agreements with China on the Belt and Road Initiative. Given its strategic geographical location, the Suez Canal offers Egypt an indispensable status-one that has been and is of great interest to the Western nations. Djibouti has had closed door meetings that have offered views on the benefits this initiative offers it, but no official agreements have been put on the table yet. Kenya, on the other hand, is of prime interest to China; it is going to be the point of entry for the Maritime Silk Road. Financing the upgrading of the Mombasa port, building a new port in Lamu (the LAPPSET project) and construction of the Standard Gauge Railway linking Mombasa to Nairobi and the landlocked neighboring countries are clear indications of China's investment in Kenya. No official declarations have been made by either government, but the invitation of the Kenyan head of state offers a clue to how and why Kenya is key.

The author is a research consultant in Nairobi, Kenya. The views do not necessarily reflect those of China Daily.