"The real estate industry is blooming in Kenya, while building materials in Linyi are abundant and the prices are very competitive. We should intensify our business cooperation and expand to other areas," said Tarang Mukesh Kara, who operates a trading company in Nairobi dealing with materials.

Tarang's comments were echoed by Lilian Ndanu Kioko, the investment promotion officer of the Kenya Investment Authority, in a meeting with Linyi Mayor Meng Qingbin. She spoke of Kenya's investment policy and sent an invitation to the host to invest in Kenya. She promised to provide one-stop service to help foreign investors, including business people from Linyi, to solve the problems of company registration, work permit application and tax declaration.

"We hope the business cooperation between China and Kenya can go beyond trade and include investment, which will bring more benefit to both nations," Kioko said.

Meanwhile, Linyi has accelerated its speed of overseas expansion. According to the mayor, in line with the Belt and Road Initiative, the city has set up nine overseas trade cities and overseas warehouses in countries like Hungary, Pakistan, Germany and Saudi Arabia in recent years. They also plan to open Kenya Linyi Trade City in Nairobi next month, a move that is warmly welcomed and highly expected by both Chinese and Kenyan business people, such as Zhan and Tarang.

"The Nairobi trade city project will definitively benefit both Chinese and Kenyans in terms of not only trade, but also people’s mutual understanding, which in return will lay a stable foundation for further cooperation," Zhan said.