DG ZHOU Xueping and Prof. WAN Fanghao of IPP and Dr. ZHANG Feng from MoA-CABI Joint Laboratory were invited to visit Kenya on 6-14 March, 2017. They exchanged and discussed in depth with chiefs and scientists at Kenya Agricultural & Livestock Research Organization (KALRO), Kenya Plant Health Inspection Service (KEPHIS), Egerton University (EGU) and CABI Africa Centre over the international cooperation in plant protection within the framework of the Belt and Road Initiative. The both sides signed a memorandum of understanding for cooperation.

Kenya locates in the east Africa and is among the countries with better economic base in Sub-Saharan Africa. Kenya is also one of the important African countries to cooperate under the Belt and Road Initiative proposed by China. China and Kenya has broad cooperative expectation in the areas of plant protection. IPP delegation and representatives from the cooperative institutions in Kenya attended China-Kenya Plant Protection International Collaboration Workshop held at CABI African Centre (Nairobi) on 7 March. Dr. Dennis RANGI, Director General of International Development of CABI made an opening speech. He greeted the IPP delegation and briefly introduced the main achievement gained in China-CABI cooperation and role of CABI as a link in China-Africa cooperation. DG ZHOU Xueping introduced the organizational structure of IPP and basic information in research teams, discipline strengths and international cooperation. He expressed to support actively the cooperation between China and Kenya in plant protection and put forward constructive guiding suggestions. Prof. WAN Fanghao introduced briefly the Belt and Road Initiative put forward by Chinese Government and the international cooperation in plant protection under the Initiative and the current progress in this aspect. Dr. ZHANG Feng, on behalf of MoA-CABI Joint Laboratory, introduced the mode of cooperation, the current development of the Joint Lab and the main achievements obtained. The representatives from Kenya side reported, respectively, the basic information in respective institutions and the research status quo in plant protection and their demands. They put forward also the specific suggestions to the China-Kenya cooperation in plant protection. During the meeting, the delegation and the Kenyan side signed the “MoU between IPP-CABI-KALRO-KEPHIS-EGU”. Both sides discussed in depth the priority areas for collaboration and the action plan. According to the MoU, the parties will conduct cooperation in joint research, sharing of technology and capacity building and target at the commonly interested crop diseases and insect pests. The priority areas include research and technical training in rapid detection of plant pest organisms, prevention and control of invasive alien species, techniques for mass rearing of natural enemies, and law and/or regulations for plant quarantine. There will be scientific exchanges between both sides and IPP will train young scientists and PhD students for Kenya and apply jointly for international cooperation programs, etc.

During the stay in Kenya, the delegation visited Food Crops Research Institute of KALRO and listened to the introduction to the research progress on plant pathology and agricultural insects implemented at the Institute. The delegation visited the laboratories and greenhouses there. The delegation also made a visit to Plant Quarantine and Biosecurity Station of KEPHIS and understood the workflow for the plant quarantine in import/export trade. The delegates visited quarantine laboratories for virology, bacteriology, entomology and tissue culture as well as the greenhouse facilities for quarantine purpose. In EGU, the delegation met with Prof. Rose A. MWONYA, the Vice-Chancellor of the University, and visited the Kenya-China Joint Laboratory for Crop Molecular Biology, Confucius Institute, Colleges of Agronomy, Biology and Animal Sciences and Scientific Park for Agriculture. The delegation visited alsoKALRO headquarter and talked with Dr. Felister W. M. MAKINI, the Deputy Director General of KALRO, and Dr. Lusike WASILWAD, the Director for Crop Systems, Dr. Morris AKIRI, the Regional Director of CABI African Centre, and representatives from other partners. Both sides discussed and summed up further the priority areas in plant protection in China-Kenya cooperation and the action plan.

The visit to Kenya made substantial results and increased our understanding to the administration system for agricultural research, the current situation in plant protection science and technology development and higher education in Kenya. Both sides reached consensus on the priority areas for joint research and technology development and laid solid foundation for enhancing bilateral and multilateral cooperation in plant protection science and technology and facilitating the implementation of the Belt and Road Initiative.