International Journal of Latest Research in Humanities and Social Science (IJLRHSS) Volume 08 - Issue 05, 2025 www.ijlrhss.com || PP. 66-74 66 | Page www.ijlrhss.com A Decade of Trade Partnership: An Evaluation of Kenya and China Bilateral Relations and Trade Development from 2013 to 2022 Napoya John Sopina 1 , Dr. Andrew Nyongesa Mung’ale 2 1 A Masters Student at the Department of Security, Diplomacy and Peace Studies, Kenyatta University 2 Lecturer at the Department of Security, Diplomacy and Peace Studies, Kenyatta University Abstract: The strengthened bilateral ties between Kenya and China from 2013 to 2022 had been as a result of the implementation of Chinese foreign policy frameworks such as BRI which had been utilized by China as a key drive for its trade growth and also for the African countries which are its key trade partners, Kenya involved. During the decade under review, Kenya increasingly embraced its Look East Policy through increased interactions with China with the aim of diversifying its trade partnerships and particularly strengthening its bilateral ties with China whose strategic trade interests align with its trade development goals. It is beyond doubt that through various forms bilateral engagements, Kenya had experienced massive growth in terms of trade development since China became its largest trade partner. Nevertheless, China’s involvement with Kenya primarily in trade has delivered mixed outcomes with both opportunities and losses to trade development. This forms the rationale for the study to interrogate on the recent escalation of relations by analyzing bilateral relations and trade development between Kenya and China particularly under this period of escalation. The study utilized explanatory research design to provide in-depth details on the problem being studied. The study established that despite formal and informal forms of interaction that emphasize mutual benefit, Kenya and China bilateral relationship is complex, defined by significant trade and power imbalance where gains are skewed towards China. Opportunities secured by Kenya in this bilateral relationship such as market accessibility, trade expansion and improved productivity are far outweighed by the long-term effects such as trade deficit and decline in domestic firms which result from increased market domination, unfair competition and over-reliance on Chinese imports. The study on that account recommended a critical review of Kenya and China bilateral relations to embrace mutuality and equality in order to effectively stimulate trade development in Kenya. Keywords: Bilateral Relations: established diplomatic relations between two sovereign states whose purpose is to enable cooperation in political, cultural, social and economic sphere Trade development: is the expansion and advancement in trade networks in order to increase to open more doors for the exchange of goods and services. 1. Introduction 1.1 Background As a result of globalization, countries in the world have gradually become more interconnected especially on matters regarding to trade in order to improve market efficiency, streamline trade processes and enhance efficacy on the flow of goods and services to boost trade growth. Through bilateral relations, states have created diplomatic relations that prompted establishment of mutual bilateral agreements that foster their shared interest and values (Stein and Zozan, 2013). Based on the provisions of Vienna Convention, states in a bilateral relationship should ensure that they promote friendly cooperation; mutual understanding and most significantly lay out a framework that guides their diplomatic engagements (Rixen, 2016). China has recently been considered as a trade giant as it emerged as world’s largest exporter of manufactured products and also the second largest country in the world to import goods and services. With this capacity, China’s market share of the global trade has soared dramatically making it an influence and a powerful player in terms of international trade (Wang, 2011). Following the implementation of the ‘Belt and Road’ Initiative (BRI) in 2013, China has managed to establish cooperative relations with most of the African countries with the objective of expanding trade through creation of new markets, improving accessibility and bringing efficiency to international trade. Kenya as an African country became part of China’s strategic interests in expanding its trade to other parts of Africa. Its geographical position aligns with China’s geopolitical strategy of accessing markets in East African region (Chenggang and Others, 2020).