| dc.description.abstract | A look at relations between any two countries shows that international interaction is characterized by both conflict and cooperation. This has been true of the relations between Kenya and China. In this study, we were concerned with analyzing relations between the two countries using conflict and cooperation as our poles of reference. More particuJ.arly we were concerned wi th analyzing and unearthing the factors that were salient in these states' relations. Two questions were dealt with. First, why cooperation was carried out between Kenya and China even when conflict existed. Second, the factors that accounted for the shift in relations from that state of conflict towards a state of cooperation without conflict.
In our attempt to answer these questions we argued that consideration for economic and political interests were salient in explaining conflict and cooperation. Compat ibil ity of economic and/or political interests pursued by the two states led to cooperation while incompatible political interests led to conflict.
In identifying the two states' national interests, we argued that these interests were articulated in the foreign policies they followed. Thus China's interests vis-a-vis Kenya were seen in her foreign policy behaviour and action towards Kenya. The same was with Kenya's interest in relation to China.
The conflict existing between the two states especially during the
first decade of their interaction, we argued, was largely due to the incompatible interests followed by the two states and the tactics used in attaining their political goals. However, not all political interests were incompatible, some were compatible and in those instances relations were cooperative.
Cooperation was largely due to the common economic interests. Shifts in relations towards high levels of cooperation without conflict, we argued, was due to the economic and political interests to be gained through friendly relations. Hence as the two states realized that they stood to gain more through cooperation than conflict, cordial relations between them developed.
At the end of our analysis, we argued that, by looking at the trends which relations had taken since the mid 1970s, it is likely that in the foreseeable future relations are likely to remain cordial.
We used the national interest theory to explain the behaviour of the two states towards each other. That is, the major considerations of the two states was to maximize their interests such that when their interests concurred cooperation ensued and when they pursued divergent interests conflict occurred.
The study was able to show that states can pursue both conflictive and cooperative interests simultaneously.
In such a study we obviously encountered some problems. The major being the fact that we could not be able to obtain any useful data from the primary sources we identified. In the informal interviews that we were able to carry out, the officials could not tell us anything much new that we could not obtain from the
secondary sources. This was a major limitation to our study. | en |
