By Andrea Shalal
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Kenya sees no conflict in pursuing close ties with both the United States and China, Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta said on Wednesday, a day before he meets U.S. President Donald Trump to start talks on a potential free trade agreement. https://www.reuters.com/article/kenya-trade-usa/kenya-says-to-start-free-trade-talks-with-us-next-week-idUSL8N2A02OS
Kenyatta gave no details, but said his country was keen to secure its economic future ahead of the expiry of the Africa Growth and Opportunity Act, which allows sub-Saharan African countries to export thousands of products to the United States without tariffs or quotas until 2025.
The East African nation, which needs to boost exports to create jobs at home for millions of young people and bolster hard currency earnings, has seen a rising number of U.S. tourists and growing investments by firms like Alphabet Inc (O:GOOGL).
Kenyatta said his country had no interest in being drawn into some proxy war between the world's two largest economies after decades of Cold War tensions between the United States and the Soviet Union that also played out in Africa.
"We don't want to be forced to choose. We want to work with everybody, and we think there is opportunity for everybody," Kenyatta told an event hosted by the Atlantic Council.
Trump's former national security adviser John Bolton in 2018 announced plans to expand U.S. economic ties with African nations to counter what he called aggressive efforts by China and Russia to expand their influence there.
Kenyatta said the United States and China had different strengths that could benefit Kenya, with opportunities for all partners.
"Kenya can have several best friends - the United States, China, Great Britain, the European Union and others. They need to do what is best for them to progress their economy, build their infrastructure and push the country forward," said Johnnie Carson, a former U.S. ambassador to Kenya.
Kyle McCarter, the current U.S. envoy to Kenya, told Reuters Washington viewed Kenya as an important strategic partner in Africa and looked forward to expanded trade in coming years.
Stronger bilateral trade ties with the United States would not undermine the African Continental Free Trade Agreement signed by 54 of 55 African Union members, Kenyatta said. He added that Kenya's economy was more advanced than other African nations, and it could be a pacesetter for others.
"I don't believe that a deepening of trade between our two countries ... threatens anything," he said.