Cooperation between China, Kenya running smoothly: FM spokesperson

BEIJING, Dec. 24 (Xinhua) -- A Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson said Monday that cooperation between China and Kenya on various projects, including the Mombasa-Nairobi Standard Gauge Railway (SGR) project, were running smoothly.

Spokesperson Hua Chunying made the remarks at a press briefing, responding to comments that Kenya had used Mombasa Port as a collateral to reach an SGR payment agreement with Chinese financial institutions.

According to relevant financial institutions, the comments are not true, Hua said. "The Kenyan authorities have already made clarifications on that."

"Chinese companies and financial institutions conduct cooperation with African countries, including with Kenya, on the basis of jointly conducting feasibility study of projects and then deciding on the scale of construction and financing, so as to strictly prevent debt risks and financial burdens to the African side," Hua said.