Chinese President Hu Jintao's first state visit to Kenya has been a major issue among the local media, which describing the tour as a culmination of efforts to strengthen ties between Kenya and China, the world's fastest growing economy.

The Standard newspaper on Thursday gave a whole page to a special report on Hu's visit to the east African country, saying that the tour was to "cement the relationship between Kenya and China."

Hu arrived here Thursday on a three-day state visit to Kenya, the last leg of his five-nation tour which has already taken him to the United States, Saudi Arabia, Morocco and Nigeria.

"The China-Africa cooperation is one of the things the Chinese government lays great emphasis on as it views Africa as a major partner especially for its goods," the report said, adding that the Chinese leader's tour was "seeking to deepen ties with Kenya as base for Africa."

At the moment, according to the newspaper, China's investment in Kenya stands at 30 million U.S. dollars, and Chinese officials are optimistic that there is great potential for Chinese investment in Kenya in mechanical, electrical and textile products.

Another leading local newspaper the Daily Nation said Friday in its report that trade is expected to top Hu's agenda as he ended his three-nation African tour to boost already booming ties with a continent rich in the energy and minerals his country needs to feed a fast-growing economy.

The newspaper quoted Chinese ambassador to Kenya Guo Chongli as saying that trade between Kenya and China has grown by nearly 280 million dollars in the past three years, making it the highest with any African countries.

However the Chinese diplomat also admitted that the growth was largely in favor of China and attributed this to his country's investment in technology. To address the disparity, Guo said, Chinese firms and other importers of Kenyan goods were now being given subsidies by their government.

China buys from Kenya tea, coffee, flowers and leather among other products.

"Kenya has been selected as one of China's main trading centers under a multi-billion-shilling project to increase trade between the Asian economic giant and Africa," said another report of the Saturday Nation.

Under the project, the newspaper said, China will in the next few years build major manufacturing industries in Kenya to increase business between the two countries, and the major manufacturing interests "will also act as links between China and Africa."

Source: Xinhua