China and Kenya in joint initiative to protect wildlife

NAIROBI: The government and people of Kenya have made great strides in wildlife conservation. Their hard work has paid off because today, the poaching of wildlife for ivory has decreased by 80 per cent.

Like Kenya, China places a high premium on wildlife protection and nature. In recent days, Chinese President Xi Jinping has emphasised that clean water and green mountains are endowments from nature. Under this principle, China has worked tirelessly to conserve the environment. Presently, China is working on the 13th Five-Year Plan to promote ecological conservation.
To build a Beautiful China, the protection of rare or endangered species is key. The law of the People’s Republic of China on the Protection of Wildlife was enacted in 1988, while China signed up to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora in 1981.

Moreover, China signed agreements with Kenya and other countries on wildlife protection. In this collaborative effort, it jointly carried out Operation Cobra, which involved cracking down on illicit trade in wildlife. China has also launched various awareness campaigns on wildlife protection and has been involved in initiatives to tackle illegal ivory trade. Last year saw two temporary bans imposed by the Chinese government on the import of carved African ivory products and African ivory acquired as hunting trophies. Last year also saw several public displays of destruction of confiscated ivory by Chinese authorities. Additionally, China has established the International Fund for Elephant Conservation, providing support and donations to African countries for elephant protection. And during Chinese President Xi Jinping’s state visit to the United States in 2015, the two countries committed to pushing for complete bans on ivory imports and exports. China is ready to hold discussions with the US and Africans on programmes that will protect wildlife under the theme “Proposed by Africa, favoured by Africa, led by Africa”.

Wildlife protection is a key area of cooperation between China and Africa, Kenya in particular. In December 2015, Chinese President Xi Jinping told the Johannesburg Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) that China-Africa cooperation would never be pursued at the expense of Africa’s long-term interests.

During his state visit to Zimbabwe, President Xi Jinping inspected a local wildlife sanctuary where he fed elephants and giraffes with fruits and leaves. In 2014, Chinese Premier Li Keqiang visited the Ivory Burning Site Monument at the Nairobi National Park with Kenya’s President Uhuru Kenyatta in an event covered by the international press. These gestures signalled China and Africa’s shared commitment to wildlife conservation.

Kenya and China have worked closely in promoting wildlife protection through joint law enforcement exercises, capacity building and material assistance. They have engaged the business community and the people of both countries in the process.

In 2014, the law enforcement agencies of China and Kenya jointly busted a criminal gang based in Kenya that was trying to smuggle ivory to China. In 2015, China donated equipment worth US$ 537,000 to the Kenya Wildlife Service to strengthen wildlife protection. Recently, the Chinese Embassy in Kenya and East African Wild Life Society jointly launched a special edition of Swara magazine in Chinese and English languages. This edition of Swara will be distributed at airports and on board China Southern Airline’s international flights.

Chinese companies in Kenya have paid great attention to wildlife protection during construction projects. Take the Mombasa-Nairobi SGR Project for example. Fourteen overpasses, 600 culverts and 61 bridges were designed and built to facilitate animal migration. Furthermore, protective fences have been erected on the animal routes in national parks and wetlands to protect animals from danger.

In recent years more Chinese volunteers have come to Kenya, devoting themselves to the cause of wildlife protection. Last year young Chinese volunteers from Tsinghua University visited the Masai Mara National Reserve, and tracked down the positions and routes of lions and elephants via the BeiDou Navigation Satellite System. They worked together with local people to conduct anti-poaching patrols and wildlife rescue. Around 600 years ago, the great Chinese navigator Zheng He paid a visit to Malindi and was bestowed with a gift giraffe by the local people. Admiral Zheng He took it to China to the delight of Chinese people. Today, more than 40,000 Chinese tourists visit Kenya annually for the wonders of the great wildlife migration and the country’s beauty.

My colleagues at the Chinese Embassy in Nairobi and their families have often visited the Animal Orphanage in Nairobi and shared the love of wildlife and nature. We share a beautiful world and need to work together to protect it.