President William Ruto’s state visit to China in the background of a raging trade war between the Asian giant and the US is a bold statement that puts to test Kenya’s non-alignment foreign policy against its economic interests.

Political analysts think the invitation is strategic because Beijing appears to be capitalising on the damage expected from President Donald Trump’s sweeping trade tariffs against many countries, including Kenya.

It also comes when Kenya is mulling joining the BRICS countries, an informal group led by Russia and China that is advancing multilateral cooperation in different fields.