Parties sign initiative to boost China-Kenya integration

The Principal Secretary for Environment, Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources Kenya, Charles Sunkuli, makes a speech at the ceremony. HOU LIQIANG/CHINA DAILY

"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.