Chinese Vice President Han Zheng is conducting an Africa tour through Kenya, South Africa and the Seychelles during which he will meet his local counterparts through March 30, Radio France Internationale reported on March 23. In Kenya, Han oversaw the departure of Kenya's first goods shipment to China under recently agreed zero-tariff provisions with Kenyan Deputy President Kithure Kindiki, who stressed Nairobi's ambition to leverage these trade provisions to narrow the trade deficit with Beijing.

China signed preliminary agreements with Kenya and South Africa, setting the stage for both countries to gain duty-free access to the Chinese market in January and February, respectively. This aligns with Beijing's pledge to grant duty-free access to its market to all 53 African countries with which it has diplomatic relations. On March 21, Kenya began work on the extension of its Standard Gauge Railway from central Kenya to the border with Uganda, which will involve Chinese contractors.