Aerial photo taken on June 3, 2018 shows trains at the Nairobi railway station in Nairobi, capital of Kenya. (Xinhua/Wang Teng)

NAIROBI, April 24 (Xinhua) -- The bilateral cooperation between China and Kenya is flourishing and heading for a brighter future thanks to goodwill from top leadership and citizens from both countries, an envoy has said.

Wu Peng, Chinese Ambassador to Kenya, said in a commentary published by the Daily Nation newspaper on Tuesday that bilateral ties between Nairobi and Beijing have covered a new milestone while unleashing mutual benefits.

"I feel strongly that the China-Kenya relations are experiencing unprecedented opportunities. It is my honor to be accredited to Kenya at this particular time, when all conditions are favorable to foster even stronger ties," said Wu.

He said that Kenya remains a strategic regional hub and hailed the country's transformation in diverse sectors like manufacturing, trade, finance and communications.

Wu said that China-Kenya relationship "is at its finest in history" as the two countries have upgraded the relations to a Comprehensive Strategic Cooperative Partnership.

Wu said that Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta will lead a high powered delegation to attend the second Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation to be held in Beijing later this month, and the Kenyan leader will once again visit China to meet the Chinese president and other state officials.

Wu said that Kenya also stands to reap from the second China International Import Expo to be held in November in Shanghai in terms of gaining new market for its agricultural commodities like coffee, tea, flowers as well as tourism products.

He said that the Mombasa-Nairobi Standard Gauge Railway (SGR) that is a key component of the Belt and Road Initiative is behind Kenya's rapid transformation since its launch on May 31, 2017.

"Over 2.71 million passengers have travelled with SGR, with an average attendance rate of 99 percent. Around 4.04 million tons of goods have been transported through the railway, with economic indicators surpassing expectations," said Wu.

He said that China is supporting Kenya's industrial growth agenda through construction of special economic zones and industrial parks.

The envoy said that bilateral trade between Kenya and China has flourished while the Asian country has increased investments in the East Africa's largest economy.

Wu said that China-Kenya cooperation has expanded to cover education, culture and science while the number of Kenyans that have benefited from China-sponsored scholarships has increased.

"China-Kenya relations are standing at a higher stage with new development opportunities," said Wu.