China Retracts on Threat to Engage Kenya in Trade War

By Moses Adongo

China has walked back trade war threat with Kenya over fish importation ban after stating that it will not engage in a trade war with its ‘East African strategic trade partner.’

On Tuesday during a delegate’s familiarization tour of the SGR at Chines embassy in Nairobi, acting Ambassador Li Xuhang noted that his country had received, with regret, a letter from the Kenya Fisheries Department canceling all applications for imports of fish from China.

“Chinese Embassy has noticed that Kenya Fisheries Service issued a letter to some companies notifying that all import applications for tilapia fish will not be approved into the country with effect from 1st January 2019.

He warned that the Asian economic powerhouse would react to the ban as it did to the trade tariffs imposed on her by President Donald Trump’s administration.

However, in a statement on Wednesday that exuded a change of tune, the Chinese Embassy said that it hoped the issue of fish importation ban would be handled amicably.

“China will not engaged Kenya in a trade war, or even associate the issue of fish import with other cooperative projects,” read the statement.

The Embassy further challenged Kenyan entrepreneurs to take advantage of the forthcoming China International Import Expo in Shanghai, to let the Chines market recognizes the Kenyan products.

The debate on the ban of Chines fish was started by President Uhuru Kenyatta who had wondered why the Kenyan authorities allowed an influx of the Chinese fish into Kenya to the disadvantage of Kenyan traders.

This was followed by the drafting of a bill that sought to regulate the contracts awarded to Chines tenderpreneurs; the bill has so far received the nod from Deputy President William Ruto.

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