ParticipantsattendtheChinaalumnisymposiumontheBeltandRoadInitiative(BRI)inNairobi,Kenya,March24,2024.(Xinhua/WangGuansen)NAIROBI,March24(Xinhua)--AChinaalumnisymposiumontheBeltandRoadInitiative(BRI)washeldintheKenyancapitalofNairobiSunday,withparticipantswhoincludedseniorofficials,scholarsandstudentsunderscoringitspositiveimpactsacrosssocioeconomicspheres.HeldattheheadquartersofMojaExpresswayCompany,theoperatoroftheChinese-built27.1-kmNairobiExpressway,thesymposiumwasorganizedbytheBeltandRoadCollegeofBeijingNormalUniversity,andsupportedbyChinaRoadandBridgeCorporation(CRBC).Theone-daysymposiumsoughttocapturethoughtsandsuggestionsfromKenyanswhohavestudiedinChinaregardingthetransformativeimpactsofBRI,andraisingitsvisibilitylocally.XuJianping,directorgeneraloftheDepartmentofRegionalOpening-upattheNationalDevelopmentandReformCommissionofChina,saidthatprojectsincludinginfrastructure,agriculture,healthsector,andcapacitybuildingunderBRIhaveunleashedbenefitstoKenyaandtheAfricancontinent,besidesdeepeningtieswithChina.ThecooperationbetweenChinaandKenyahasplayedasignificantroleinfosteringpeople-to-peopleexchanges,promotingenterprisegrowthandcontributingtotheeconomiesofbothChinaandAfricancountries,hesaid.NotingthatthesuccessfulcooperationundertheBRIhasbecomeamodelforSouth-Southcooperation,XusaidChinaiswillingtoworkwithcountriesinAfricatograduallyturntheneedsofcountriesparticipatingintheBeltandRoadInitiativeintorealitythroughthejointeffortsofgovernments,enterprisesandpeoplefromallwalksoflife.HereiteratedChina'scommitmenttoimplementinghigh-qualityBRIcooperationastheinitiativeentersitsseconddecade.JafethAtito,analumnusfromBeijingNormalUniversitycurrentlyworkingforKenya'sStateDepartmentofEastAfricanAffairs,saidthatBRIhasfacilitatedtheimplementationofcross-borderinfrastructureprojects,fosteringtradeingoodsandservices.HeemphasizedthatbuildingtheskillsoflocalpeopleandfacilitatingknowledgeandtechnologytransferbetweenChinaandKenyawillbekeytorealizingthefullbenefitsofBRI.BenjaminTetile,anofficerwiththeNationalPoliceServiceCommissionandalumnusofBeijingNormalUniversity,saidthatskillstransferthatisembeddedinBRIhasfosteredSino-Kenyancooperation.FrancisMunyua,alsoanalumnusofBeijingNormalUniversitywhoundertookathesisontheimpactsofBRIprojectsinKenya,saidtheyhavecreatedjobs,openedtheKenyanhinterland,andenhancedSino-Kenyantrade.HenryRotich,chairmanoftheKenya-ChinaAlumniAssociation,saidthatinfrastructureprojectsdomiciledundertheBRIincludingports,railwaysandhighwayshaveenhancedconnectivity,humaninteractionsandcommerce."I'mhappytoseebigprojectsthatarebeingbuiltunderBRI.OneoftheimpactsoftheBRIisshorteningthedistanceforpeople,makingbusinesseseasiertodo,"Rotichsaid.Hesingledoutthe480-kmMombasa-NairobiStandardGaugeRailway(SGR),aBRIprojectforeasingthemobilityofpassengersandbulkcargoinKenyaandneighboringcountries.ZhaoLianzhi,deputygeneralmanagerofCRBC,observedthatunderBRI,Sino-Kenyanfriendshipandcooperationhavethrived,anchoredontheimplementationofmoderninfrastructureprojectsandskillsdevelopmentforthelocalyouth.ZhaomentionedthatCRBChassince2016provided100Kenyanyouthwithscholarshipstopursuebachelor'sdegreesinrailway-relatedtechnologiesatBeijingJiaotongUniversity.Astheworld'slargestdevelopingcountryandthecontinenthometomostdevelopingcountries,ChinaandAfrica,inthespiritofChina-Africafriendshipandcooperation,arejoininghandstoadvancetheirrespectivemodernizationwithdistinctivefeaturestobuildacloserhigh-levelChina-Africacommunitywithasharedfuture.Attheendoftheevent,HuBiliang,executivedeanoftheBeltandRoadCollege,presentedalumniwithcertificatesandencouragedthemtocontinuetousewhattheyhavelearnedinChinatopromotelocaldevelopmentandenhancethefriendshipbetweenthetwocountries.■Editor:DisclaimerTheviewsandopinionsexpressedinthisarticlearethoseoftheauthor's,GMW.cnmakesnorepresentationsastoaccuracy,suitability,orvalidityofanyinformationonthissiteandwillnotbeliableforanyerrors,omissions,ordelaysinthisinformation.