Nairobi — China's 77th National Day celebrations in Nairobi turned the spotlight on the country's dramatic economic transformation and Beijing's push to deepen its strategic and economic partnership with Kenya.

Chinese Ambassador to Kenya Guo Haiyan said China's journey from poverty and weakness to becoming the world's second-largest economy had been driven by decades of self-reliance, development and what she described as a Chinese path to modernisation.

Speaking at the National Day reception attended by Prime Cabinet Secretary and Foreign Affairs Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi, diplomats, government officials and other guests, Guo said the scale of China's transformation would have been difficult for the country's founders to imagine.

She said China had eradicated absolute poverty, expanded access to education and social security and emerged as a major contributor to global economic growth.

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"The Chinese nation has journeyed from the brink of extinction to great rejuvenation, overcoming immense hardships along the way, with a spirit of courage and determination," Guo said.

The ambassador also pointed to environmental gains, saying desertification and land degradation had declined for consecutive years and that the proportion of days with good air quality in Chinese cities had reached 88 percent.

The anniversary celebrations also provided a platform for Beijing to outline its ambitions for the next phase of China-Kenya relations.

Guo said China was ready to expand cooperation with Kenya in infrastructure, energy, agriculture, education, youth affairs, science and technology.

"China stands ready to deepen cooperation with Kenya in infrastructure development, energy, agriculture, education, youth affairs, science and technology, and other fields, continuously elevating mutually beneficial cooperation to new heights," she said.

Trade was also central to the ambassador's message, with Beijing urging Kenya to make greater use of preferential access to the Chinese market.

"We hope that zero tariffs, the upgraded 'green channel for Kenyan products exported to China', and other preferential policies will enable more high-quality Kenyan products to enter the Chinese market faster and in greater quantities," Guo said.

She said political and people-to-people exchanges had also expanded, with more than 1,000 Kenyans from different sectors travelling to China for training and study programmes under the China-Africa Year of People-to-People Exchanges.

More than 20 events had been held under the initiative, she said, while exchanges between government, legislatures, political parties and local authorities had continued.

Guo also cited Kenya's participation as a founding member of the International Organization for Mediation, the World Artificial Intelligence Cooperation Organization and the International Alliance Combating Telecom and Cyber Fraud.

She said closer China-Kenya relations served the interests of both countries.

"Facts have shown that the development of China-Kenya relations serves the respective and common interests of both sides and helps improve the well-being of our two peoples," Guo said.

The ambassador said Beijing would continue to strengthen coordination with Nairobi on multilateral affairs and support what she described as the common interests of the Global South.

She also recognised the Chinese community in Kenya, describing it as an important bridge between the two countries and pledging continued support from the embassy.