Kenin saved the only break point she faced in the 78-minute win and advanced to face Denmark's Clara Tauson, a 6-2, 6-3 winner against Japan's Nao Hibino.
Ninth seed Katie Boulter of England, the only other seeded player in action, converted all five break points in a 6-1, 6-4 defeat of Australia's Priscilla Hon.
Japan's Moyuka Uchijima outlasted Britain's Mika Stojsavljevic 6-4, 6-7, 7-6 in nearly three hours.
McCartney Kessler and Japan's Kyoka Okamura and Sayaka Ishii also advanced.
Guangzhou Open
Top seed Katerina Siniakova of the Czech Republic crushed Croatia's Petra Martic 6-2, 6-1 in 63 minutes in first-round action in China.
Siniakova's countrywoman and second seed Marie Bouzkova also cruised with a 6-3, 6-1 defeat of Suzan Lamens of the Netherlands.
Third seed Yuan Yue of China, fifth seed Diane Parry of France and seventh seed Jessica Bouzas Maneiro of Spain also advanced in straight sets, as did unseeded Americans Caroline Dolehide, Alycia Parks and Bernarda Pera.
Two seeded players were eliminated, as Italy's Lucia Bronzetti defeated fourth seed Elina Avanesyan of Armenia 6-1, 6-4 and China's Shuai Zhang ousted eighth seed Kamilla Rakhimova of Russia 6-2, 6-1 in 58 minutes.
China's Wang Xiyu and Shi Han and Thailand's Mananchaya Sawangkaew were also winners.
