A poem on China-Kenya friendship & cooperation

The day that we first met

Is still fresh in my thoughts

It was in 1963 after a painful struggle

With a hostile friend

Who now envies our love and friendship

They say that true friendship is rare

An adage that I believe to be true

Genuine friendship is something that I cherish

I am so lucky to have met you.

Over the years our friendship has grown

From strength to strength

It is unique in its own way

We have something irreplaceable

I love you more and more each day.

We've been through so much together

In so little time we've shared many a things

In five decades to be precise

You have given your all in this friendship

I will never forget all the moments

That you've shown me how much you cared

Your children have been my children

We shared happiness and sorrows together

In times of difficult you brought healing

And in times of celebrations we toasted happily

You maybe miles away

But friends are forever

You seem closer than the closest

You are a true definition of friendship

Today my people spend less time driving

You provided a faster means

They no longer que in the old friend's hospital

You extended a hand in doing a better one

You have done so much yet so soon

You came at the right time

You came with the solution

You came to stay

You are an everlasting friend

Every day we draw closer

Our hands hold each other stronger

We dream together

We feel for each other

Like a sister and a brother

Today your children speak my language

And mine speak yours

Our cultures are getting closer

Through our collaborations

We have so many places that we play together

Like the FOCAC stadium

Where you gave me so much help

And our rules of the game benefit both of us

And the last time we met in Egypt the stadium was exciting

The numbers can tell

The story here

Is the same in other 53 places

In our great continent

It helps us strengthen our common goals

Our story will continue to grow

With each passing day

Because I trust that with you by my side

Everything will always be Okay.

Even when old friends yell at us

It can only make us strong together

Many times I refer to them as friends

But I refer to you as a brother

You are so dear to me

You know I will cherish you until the end

I will always be there for you,

As you always do to me

You will forever be my best friend.

Ronald Mutie (center) presenting at a workshop in Beijing China on media angles of reporting organized by institute of west Asia and Africa studies in 2012.