NAIROBI, Nov. 27 (Xinhua) -- Kenya and China are eyeing strengthened cooperation on critical areas like infrastructure development, energy, machinery and equipment, agro-processing, transport, logistics and ICT at an industrial expo currently underway in the Kenyan capital Nairobi.

The four-day China-Kenya Industrial Capacity Cooperation Expo that opened Tuesday will provide a platform for public and private sector institutions from both countries to interact with each other, according to organizers.

Among the 83 Chinese enterprises that are participating in the expo include eight big corporations, including China Mobile, FOTON and China Southern Airlines.

Guo Ce, economic and commercial counselor at the Chinese Embassy in Kenya said during the opening ceremony that the embassy encourages Chinese enterprises to become deeply rooted in Kenya and grow with the Kenyan economy through increased investment, improved localization and steady technology transfer. 

He also said the embassy is expecting the Kenyan government to make continued efforts to upgrade its investment climate, improve administrative efficiency and promote investment facilitation so that more foreign investors including the Chinese are willing to come and invest. 

Hyrine Nyong'a, an official from Kenya's State Department for Industrialization delivered a speech on behalf of Peter Munya, Kenya's Cabinet Secretary in the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Cooperatives. 

She said the expo will inject vitality in Sino-Kenya trade and industrial ties in line with the objectives outlined in the 2018 Forum on China Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) summit as well as the Belt and Road Initiative.

"The China-Kenya Expo aims to implement the achievements of FOCAC summit, promote economic and trade cooperation between China and Kenya as well as build a bridge of connectivity between China and Africa," she said.

She said that Kenya regards China as a strategic partner in its bid to become a regional manufacturing hub. "China is now ready to help increase the added value and competitiveness of our products and the objective of the expo is set to provide a unique platform to fulfill this goal," she said.

Wang Xiaoguang, Head of the Chinese Exhibition Delegation and Vice President of CIEC Group Corporation, said that the expo will also include business matchmaking and a job fair.

The Nov. 26-29 expo was organized by the China International Exhibition Center Group Corporation (CIEC Group) and sponsored by the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade in conjunction with Kenya's ministry of trade, Kenya Investment Authority and the country's investors lobby.