AR-News: Chinese Ambassador speaks - Chimps will be fine...

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From:primfocus at waste.org
The New Vision
Kampala, Uganda
26 January 2004

LETTERS SECTION

The chimps will be fine in China

SIR, I wish to clarify some issues raised in your article of January 22 
entitled "Chimps to China."

The story contains some inaccuracies. The chimps donation involved friendly 
consultations by the Uganda Wildlife Authority, the Ministry of Tourism, 
trade and Industry, the Uganda Wildlife Education Centre, and Entebbe 
municipal council which is twinned with Changsha City in China.

The donation is two and not three chimps as reported. It was mutually 
agreed that the donation procedures will conform to the relevant 
international convention and practices. The agreement was fair and transparent.

The chimps will be kept in a specially located four-hectare home in 
Changsha City with modern facilities within the Changsha Ecosystem Park.

The park, covering 200 hectares, is home to 5000 animals, 300 of which live 
in a wildlife protective natural ecosystem similar to the wildlife 
conservation centre in Uganda. The chimps are not going to be kept in tiny 
zoo cages as reported. We fully understand the concern of the Ugandan 
wildlife conservation groups. In fact, the Entebbe City delegation headed 
by Entebbe's mayor, Stephen Kabuye, visited the park last and is well 
acquainted with its modern ecosystem. Moreover, in line with the 
requirements from Uganda, Changsha Park is required to sign an agreement 
soon to confirming that the donated animals will be raised only for 
conservation and educational purposes rather than for trade, circus 
activities or any other form of abuse. A videotape about Changsha's 
ecosystem will also be attached. China and Uganda enjoy very strong 
friendship in terms of political solidarity, economic and trade ties and 
other fields. However, due to the distance, their citizens still remain 
ignorant of each other in many aspects. In this sense, the two chimps will 
serve as goodwill ambassadors for Uganda to the Chinese people and enable 
the Chinese to know more about Uganda. such a friendly donation will be 
widely covered by the Chinese media and win great publicity and attract a 
favourable rather than negative image about Uganda and Africa at large. 
China is, by no means, against the wishes of President Yoweri Museveni and 
his vision of promoting Uganda's tourism.

It is on record that Uganda has requested China to enlist her as a 
destination of group tourists. With the arrival of the Chinese, Uganda's 
income from tourism will be boosted. This will in turn help preserve the 
endangered species better.

Li Qiangmin
Ambassador of the People's Republic of China


the wild, cruel beast is not behind the bars of the cage. he is in front of it - axel munthe

"Never doubt that a small group of dedicated citizens can change the world. 
Indeed, it's the only thing that ever has."      Margaret Mead
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