Beijing is charting a bold diplomatic course for the coming year, promising to stabilize turbulent superpower relations while positioning itself as the primary defender of the Global South.

For emerging economies like Kenya, which navigate the delicate geopolitical fault lines between East and West, Beijing’s pledge to “shape a new model” of engagement with Washington offers a potential reprieve from the economic volatility caused by global trade wars.

Stabilizing the Superpowers

Foreign Minister Wang Yi, speaking at a high-level symposium in Beijing on Tuesday, laid out a strategy that seeks to cool temperatures in the Pacific. Addressing the often-fraught relationship with the United States, Wang emphasized a desire for “mutual respect, peaceful coexistence, and win-win cooperation.”

This rhetoric marks a calculated shift. Wang noted that China intends to manage conflicts with neighbors actively, aiming to eliminate the “conditions that breed contradictions.” For the Kenyan market, stability between the world’s two largest economies is crucial; trade disruptions often ripple down, affecting fuel prices and the strength of the Kenya Shilling.

Wang outlined key pillars for the upcoming diplomatic calendar:

• US Relations: Pushing for sustainable development while safeguarding Chinese sovereignty.
• Russia Ties: Cementing partnerships to ensure international strategic stability.
• European Engagement: Opening new avenues for trade and upholding multilateralism.
• Global South: Explicitly safeguarding the development interests of nations in Africa, Asia, and Latin America.

Opening Doors: The Tourism Surge

Beyond high-level statecraft, Beijing is aggressively courting global travelers. Wang highlighted a massive expansion in China’s visa-exemption list, which now includes 48 countries. The policy is already bearing fruit.

“In the first three quarters of this year, more than 20 million visa-free entries were recorded, an increase of over 50 percent year-on-year,” Wang revealed. To put this in perspective, that figure is roughly ten times the total annual international arrivals to Kenya, underscoring the sheer scale of China's reopening to the world.

Looking Toward APEC 2026

Looking further ahead, Wang confirmed that China will host the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum in 2026. He framed this as an opportunity to “energize and explore the pathways toward a Free Trade Area of the Asia-Pacific.”

While details on specific trade concessions for African nations remain to be seen, the focus on free trade suggests Beijing is keen to keep global markets open despite rising protectionism elsewhere. As the host nation, China’s ability to weave the Global South’s agenda into the APEC framework will be the true test of these diplomatic promises.