Kenya and China have reached an agreement to hold a training exchange program involving athletes from both countries ahead of the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing, local officials said on Wednesday.

A Chinese Olympic Committee delegation, led by its vice-president Duan Shijie, has been in Kenya to inspect local training facilities and to hold discussions with National Olympic Committee of Kenya (NOCK) and Athletics Kenya (AK) officials.

NOCK chairman Kipchoge Keino said China had shown a serious improvement in athletics, hence the country's double Olympic gold medal victory in Athens by Liu Xiang in the men's 110m hurdles and Xing Huina in the 10,000 meters.

It will be the first time that Kenyan and Chinese athletes will hold a joint sports training programme although China helped to construct a multi-million shilling Kasarani national stadium in Nairobi to host the 1987 All Africa Games.