Widely considered as the world's largest producer of silk, Guangdong Silk-Tex Group, recently announced the company's plan to set up a shop in Kenya's capital city of Nairobi. This was announced following the meeting of Kenya President Uhuru Kenyatta and Chinese President Xi Jinping during the inaugural China International Expo in Shanghai.
On Sunday, officials of Guangdong Silk-Tex Group, together with the company's Chairman Ke Huiqi, met with President Kenyatta in Shanghai. According to reports, the Chinese silk producer is looking to set up a silk processing factory in Nairobi's Export Processing Zone which is located in the Athi River. On top of this massive expansion plan, the company is also planning to set up a silk farm somewhere in the country.
As part of the initial plan, Guangdong Silk-Tex Group is looking to establish a cocoon farm in Nairobi. This massive cocoon farm is expected to cover at least 8,237 acres of land area. This massive facility should be able to handle the entire silk value chain which includes levels such as silk reeling, weaving, trading, and procurement.
This massive undertaking is estimated to create more than 300,000 jobs.
Aside from the silk manufacturing industry, a handful of Chinese companies are also looking to invest in Kenya. During the import expo, President Kenyatta also met with the officials of Cherami China-Africa Investment Management. According to those who were present during the meeting, the firm is looking to establish a cancer treatment facility in Kenya. The said facility will be constructed as a joint venture between the Cherami China-Africa Investment Management and the University of Nairobi.
Several reports revealed that the proposed cancer treatment facility will be the largest in sub-Saharan Africa. The facility is expected to be located next to the University of Nairobi's Dental School. The partnership will also include exchange programmes with some of the leading Chinese universities that are known for their cancer studies.
During the meeting, the issue of trade imbalance between China and Kenya was also discussed. According to President Xi, the government is also taking measures and creating regulations in order to correct such issue between the two countries. President Kenyatta added that the import expo provided a stage in order to properly negotiate new agreements with China.
For the remainder of the expo, President Kenyatta is expected to meet with other industry leaders. He is expected to look for additional markets where Kenya can sell some of its products, most importantly its agricultural produce.
