In the afternoon of May 10 local time, Premier Li Keqiang, together with President Uhuru Kenyatta of Kenya, visited the Ivory Burning Site Monument in Nairobi National Park, and addressed Chinese and foreign journalists. Deputy President William Ruto of Kenya accompanied the visit.

In 1989, the then President Daniel Toroitich arap Moi of Kenya burned 12 tons of ivory in Nairobi National Park in person. To commemorate the incineration, the Kenyan government preserved the ivory burning site and set up a monument.

Li Keqiang came to the ivory burning site and asked for information about the wildlife conservation of Kenya. Shortly afterwards, the leaders of the two countries jointly met with Chinese and foreign journalists.

Li Keqiang said that the Chinese side highly appreciates and respects the hard efforts and significant achievements in wildlife conservation made by the Kenyan government and people. Just like Kenya, China attaches great importance to the wildlife conservation. Today, the joint visit to Ivory Burning Site Monument with President Uhuru Kenyatta indicates our sincerity in jointly combating illegal ivory poaching and smuggling, as well as in enhancing cooperation in wildlife conservation, and also demonstrates resolution of the Chinese government to provide assistance within its ability for Kenya in improving the capacity building of the wildlife conservation.

In his answer to Kenyan media’s question on what support the Chinese government will provide for Kenya in combating poaching, Li Keqiang said that as a contracting party to the “Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES)”, China has been complying with the CITES for a long time. In recent years, due to the rising international momentum of illegal ivory poaching and smuggling, the Chinese government has already taken and is still taking a series of legal measures, and has established an inter-departmental action mechanism, forcefully combating the smuggling and illegal trade of ivory.

Li Keqiang pointed out that China destroyed 6.1 tons of confiscated ivory in public early this year, and the next step is to continuously strengthen the cooperation with Kenya and other countries in ecological and wildlife conservation, and to widely spread to the international community the concept that protecting wildlife is protecting our common homeland, and protecting biodiversity is protecting the richness and colorfulness of the earth. The Chinese people love nature as well as peace. The notion of harmonious coexistence between man and nature, and the notion of wildlife and biodiversity conservation are bound to take deeper roots in the hearts of all.

Kenyatta appreciated China’s determination on wildlife conservation, thanked China for its strong support to Kenya and Africa at large, and expressed his expectation to further strengthen the cooperation with China in ecological and wildlife conservation.

The wife of Premier Li Keqiang Mme. Cheng Hong and the wife of the President of Kenya Mme. Margaret Kenyatta attended the above-mentioned events.