Kenyan Vice President Kalonzo Musyoka left the country on Thursday for an official visit to China and the United States where he will seek to boost bilateral trade with the two countries.

A statement from the Vice President's office said while in the United States, Musyoka will hold talks with the U.S. and World Bank officials. "During the U.S. tour, Musyoka is expected to deliver a speech at the prestigious Brookings Institute in Washington DC," the statement said.

He will also meet members of the U.S. Senate to discuss American investments in Kenya and the East African region, as well as the issue of conflicts in the region and the Horn of Africa.

He will also take time to emphasize to Kenyans living abroad on the importance of increasing their remittances back home which currently exceeds $1 million annually.

The vice president has also been invited with the Zimbabwean Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai as the official guests to the Beijing International Service Fair which promotes international tourism and service sector.

"He will also meet senior Chinese Communist Party leaders and government officials before being conferred with an honorary degree by the famous Nanjing University," the statement said.

(Xinhua News Agency May 17, 2012)