NAIROBI, April 19 (Xinhua) -- The bilateral cooperation between China and Kenya has grown stronger in the recent past, unleashing mutual benefits across economic and social spheres, a Chinese envoy has said.

Li Xuhang, the outgoing minister counsellor at the Chinese Embassy in Kenya, said at his farewell reception on Thursday night that the last two years had witnessed significant milestones in bilateral ties between Nairobi and Beijing.

"The 27 months has witnessed tangible achievements on China-Kenya cooperation," said Li, adding that the China-funded Mombasa-Nairobi Standard Gauge Railway that was launched on May 31, 2017 has come to symbolize fruitful cooperation between the two countries.

According to Li, about 2.7 million passengers and 4 million tonnes of cargo have already been ferried between Mombasa and Nairobi since the launch of SGR trains.

He said that Kenyan President Kenyatta's scheduled visit to China next week to attend the Second Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation is expected to inject vitality into bilateral relations between Nairobi and Beijing.

He said that over 400 Chinese firms have established a presence in Kenya thanks to favorable policy environment while the number of Chinese tourists who visited Kenya increased from 56,000 in 2016 to some 81,000 in 2018.

"The leapfrogging development of bilateral relations over the past two years is the result of joint efforts of Chinese and Kenyan people from all walks of life," said Li.