NAIROBI, March 19 (Xinhua) -- The upcoming Second Belt and Road Initiative Forum for International Cooperation that will take place in China will strengthen Sino-Africa ties, an expert said on Tuesday.

Cavince Adhere, an expert on Sino-Africa relations, told Xinhua in Nairobi that both China and Africa are large markets in the world and they need each other.

"The conference will provide a platform for both Africa and China to review progress so far achieved in the implementation of projects since the initiative was launched," Adhere said during a workshop for media and think-tanks on the progress of standard gauge railway (SGR).

Adhere said that the east African region has been selected as an important pillar of the initiative in Africa.

He said that Kenya has benefited from the initiative through the SGR linking port city of Mombasa and capital Nairobi, which is the largest infrastructure project in the country's history.

The expert said that if the SGR line from Mombasa in Kenya to Kampala in Uganda is complete, it is expected to connect the East African hinterland to the Indian Ocean.

Adhere added that China has emerged as a true a partner for Africa by assisting the continent in bridging its huge infrastructure gap.

The expert urged Africa to undertake more infrastructure projects that are viable.

Li Xuhang, Charge'd affaires of the Chinese Embassy in Kenya, said that the initiative has developed into one of the world's largest cooperation platforms and it has become a popular public product.