Hard truths. Bold Insights. Real talk.
A major highlight of the year was President Ruto’s state visit to China from April 22–26, which upgraded Kenya–China relations to a “Comprehensive Strategic Partnership in the New Era.”
Economist Odhiambo Ramogi links Kenya’s economic struggles to leadership failures, corruption and exclusion, assessing the legacies of Jomo Kenyatta, Moi, Kibaki and Uhuru Kenyatta in a radio interview.
He also stated that he still believes a negotiated solution is possible to address the trade deficit between the world’s second-largest economy and the European Union (EU).
In a phone conversation between the two leaders, President Xi said the current state of bilateral ties has been welcomed not only by both nations but also by the broader international community.
Top officials from China and the United States reconvened on Sunday for a second day of trade talks in Malaysia as Trump began his three-nation Asia tour. His meeting with Xi is scheduled for Thursday, October 30, where they are also expected to discuss tariffs, trade, fentanyl, agricultural exports, and rare earths.
Zhang’s capture followed an extraordinary escape from house arrest in Mexico City, reportedly through a hole in a wall, after being initially arrested in October 2024. He then took a private jet to Cuba with the aim of moving to a country without a US extradition treaty.
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun said Beijing had lodged “serious protests” with Washington, accusing the US of once again putting its domestic laws above international norms.
In a statement on Thursday, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian said Beijing “firmly rejects the allegation” and accused the United Kingdom of engaging in political manipulation.
In a statement, Beijing said the US has been overstretching the concept of national security and abusing export control to suppress Chinese companies.
Financial markets immediately reacted to the escalating rhetoric, with the S&P 500 falling 2.7%, its sharpest decline since April.
Authorities are focusing on online narratives such as “studying is useless” and “hard work is useless,” along with content that promotes “world-weariness.”
China also intends to expand wind and solar power capacity to more than six times 2020 levels, boost forest stocks to over 24 billion cubic meters, and make "new energy vehicles" the mainstream in new vehicle sales.