Ambassador Liu Xianfa makes a speech at the signing ceremony. (HOU LIQIANG/CHINA DAILY)

The Chinese embassy, expatriates and institutions in Kenya signed an initiative on February 28 in the country’s capital Nairobi, aimed at better integrating into the local community.

The Kenya wildlife protection society welcomed the initiative, as great importance is attached to wildlife protection as one of the six clauses in the initiative.

It also vows to "comply with local laws and regulations" and "proactively integrate with the local community and work for a harmonious and good-neighborhood environment".

Vows about fulfilling social responsibilities to make "a win-win outcome for the sake of corporate and community common development" and join hands to "achieve the Chinese Dream of great rejuvenation and the Kenya Version 2030" are also included. The Principal Secretary for the Environment, Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources Kenya, Charles Sunkuli and Chinese ambassador to Kenya Liu Xianfa attended the signing ceremony.

Photo taken on Feb. 28, 2016 shows a joint initiative by the Chinese embassy in Kenya, Chinese expatriates and institutions in Kenya in Nairobi, capital of Kenya. A major Chinese initiative to promote social, cultural and wildlife conservation cooperation with Kenya was launched Sunday in Nairobi. (SUN RUIBO/XINHUA)

"The initiative is signed to promote China’s image, deepen friendship between the countries and create a win-win situation," said Liu.

There have been many Chinese and Chinese enterprises in Africa after China’s reform and opening up, and the number in Kenya, a pilot country of China-Africa industry cooperation, is expected to be even larger, after the China Africa Cooperation Forum Johannesburg Summit, he added.

The Chinese community has promoted the China-Kenya relationship but "under the new situation, Kenyan people are giving us higher expectation and the new development of China-Kenya relationship needs us to take larger responsibility", said the ambassador.

"The inclusion of Chinese companies working in Africa in the anti poaching campaign is crucial in addressing this vice in the source countries such as Kenya," said Paula Kahumbu, CEO of WildlifeDirect Kenya.

Kahumbu said she found China Road and Bridge Corp officials "excited with the prospect of being part of the advocacy campaign" in an unofficial interaction with them. CRBC is now constructing a 472-kilometer Mombasa-Nairobi Standard Gauge Railway, which goes through two national parks.

Chinese companies are also doing other mega projects in the country. China Communication Construction Company, CRBC’s holding company, is building three berths at Kenya’s Indian Ocean port of Lamu, which is part of the Lamu Port South Sudan Ethiopia Transport, or LAPSSET, corridor. AVIC International Kenya is working on the construction of Terminal 4 at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport and the Greenfield Airport.

"We look forward to stronger interaction where I believe an exchange of ideas will inform our global campaignsespecially now as we approach the 17th meeting of the Conference of the Parties to Convention International Trade In Endangered Species to be held later this year in South Africa," said Kahumb.

Solomon Kyalo, head of CITES Implementation at KWS, said: "China and Kenya have worked closely together to curb poaching and illegal ivory trade over the recent past. "I am glad to say that our close partnership especially in exchange of intelligence has yielded positive results that have seen a dramatic fall of elephant killings.

"It is not a one-off process and I believe our collaboration will continue."

The initiative is proposed by Chinese embassy in Kenya, Kenya Overseas Chinese Association, Kenya China Economic and Trade Association, Chinese General Chamber of Commerce in East Africa, Head Office of the Mombasa-Nairobi SGR Project of CRBC.

(China Daily  February 28, 2016)