China and Kenya issued a joint communiqué in Beijing Friday, pledging to further economic and political cooperation.

The communiqué was signed during Kenyan President Mwai Kibaki's state visit to China from August 15 to 19 at the invitation of President Hu Jintao.

The communiqué says Hu and Kibaki held discussions on a broad range of bilateral and international issues of common interest. During the visit, President Kibaki also met with Chairman Wu Bangguo of the National People's Congress Standing Committee and Premier Wen Jiabao.

After the talks, the two sides signed five pacts, including an agreement on economic and technical cooperation between the two governments, a framework agreement between the two governments on provision of concessional loan by China to Kenya, an air service agreement, a collaborative agreement between China's State Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine and the Kenya Bureau of Standard, and exchange of letters on radio cooperation between China's State Administration of Radio, Film and Television and the Kenyan Ministry of Information and Communication.

The communiqué says the two leaders hailed the traditional friendship between China and Kenya, and expressed satisfaction with the growth momentum of bilateral relations over the years.

The two sides agreed to deepen bilateral friendship and cooperation between the two countries. They expressed their readiness to increase the exchange of high-level visits and political consultations with a view to enhancing mutual understanding within the framework of South-South cooperation.

The communiqué says the two leaders pledged to cooperate and support each other on issues bearing on their national sovereignty and territorial integrity.

It says the Chinese side expressed support for Kenya in efforts to strengthen its legal system and develop national economy. The Kenyan side reiterated that there is but one China in the world, the government of the People's Republic of China is the sole legal government representing China, and Taiwan is an inalienable part of the Chinese territory.

The Kenyan government expressed its opposition to "Taiwan independence" in any form and expressed its support for China's efforts to realize national reunification.

The two leaders recognized the great potential in their economic cooperation and expressed their readiness to strengthen cooperation taking into account the principle of equality and mutual benefit in key areas such as trade, investment and infrastructure.

Both leaders also agreed to expand exchanges of expertise and to cooperate in areas of culture, education, science and technology, health, tourism and aviation.

The two leaders agreed to work closely together on international issues and in particular on efforts to achieve just and equitable new international political and economic order.     

The communiqué says the Chinese side commended Kenya for its role in the mediation of conflicts and promotion of cooperation at regional and international levels and expressed its support for peace and reconstruction efforts in Sudan and Somalia.

It says Kibaki expressed his gratitude to Hu for the warm welcome and gracious hospitality extended to him and members of his delegation and for the excellent arrangements made for his visit.

It says Kibaki extended an invitation to Hu to visit Kenya on mutually convenient dates and Hu expressed his appreciation for the invitation.

According to the communiqué, Kibaki was accompanied by a high-ranking Kenyan delegation including Foreign Minister Chirau Ali Mwakwere, Finance Minister David Mwiraria, Information and Communications Minister Raphael Tuju, Musikari Kombo, minister for local government, Amos Kimunya, minister for lands and housing, and Morris Dzoro, minister for tourism and wildlife.

(Xinhua News Agency August 20, 2005)