China's three major global initiatives proposed by President Xi Jinping help to build collaboration among countries to deal with challenges, said Kenyan President William Ruto in an exclusive interview with China Media Group in Beijing during his state visit to China from April 22 to 26.
The initiatives, namely the Global Development Initiative, the Global Security Initiative, and the Global Civilization Initiative, are important for different parts in Africa to manage the difficult situations, Ruto said.
"It builds collaboration between different actors in different countries dealing with an array of different situations. Whether it is to do with peace and security in the Horn of Africa, in the Sahara region, in the whole of the Central Africa, in DRC, that collaboration that comes with the proposals that have been given by President Xi is an important aspect of managing the situation around our region," he said.
Ruto also hailed President Xi as a great leader with tremendous leadership skills, calling China's development in the past decades an encouragement for other countries to eradicate poverty and embrace a good future.
"I think he is a great leader and he has tremendous leadership skills and has worked hard to get China to where it is. We're very proud of the achievements of President Xi in the development of this country. The progress that has been made in this country over the last 20 to 30 years is immense and an encouragement to those of us who are in different phases of development that with consistency and hard work, it's possible to move people out of poverty, it's possible to create a bigger middle class, and it is possible to move the country into the future," he said.
China's 3 global initiatives help build collaboration among nations: Kenyan president
Thousands of demonstrators rallied in Italy and Greece on Saturday to protest against U.S. military intervention in Venezuela, with protesters in Rome, Milan and Athens condemning Washington's actions and calling for respect for Venezuelan sovereignty.
In Rome, more than 1,000 demonstrators marched toward the area near the U.S. Embassy, calling on Washington to immediately release Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and his wife.
Police blocked roads around the embassy to prevent protesters from approaching the building, but demonstrators continued to denounce U.S. actions.
"First of all, we oppose U.S. imperialist aggression. This kind of behavior is shameful. The U.S. is attacking a sovereign country, and as [U.S. President Donald] Trump himself has said, this is for oil interests," said protester Giovanni Barbera.
Saturday's rally marked the second large-scale protest in Rome this month against U.S. military operations in Venezuela, following an earlier one on on Jan 3.
Participants included members of multiple political parties, labor unions and social organizations. The protesters held banners reading "Stop imperialist interference" and "Free Maduro," urging the international community to respect Venezuela's sovereignty and the will of its people, and condemning the U.S. for violating international law.
"We are protesting the way the U.S. handles international politics. Since the events of January 3, we have seen violations of international law, and we are very concerned about how the global situation is developing," said protester Stefano De Angelis.
Organizers said solidarity rallies in support of Venezuela were held in 30 Italian cities on the same day.
Meanwhile, similar protests were also staged in Greece. About 200 people gathered outside the U.S. Embassy in Athens, voicing support for Venezuela and opposition to U.S. military actions.
"We oppose U.S. imperialism and its attack on Venezuela. At the same time, the U.S. is also threatening Cuba, Mexico and Greenland. We must stand up against this behavior," said Greek protester Argiro Sirmakezi.
Protesters rally in Italy, Greece against U.S. military operation in Venezuela
