Winners of a photography and video contest themed "Shared Future" on Tuesday received awards from the Chinese embassy in Kenya at a colorful ceremony held at the Confucius Institute at the University of Nairobi. The contest is part of a number of activities lined up by the embassy to celebrate the 60th anniversary of diplomatic ties between China and Kenya alongside the 10th anniversary of the Belt and Road Initiative.

According to the organizers, the competition attracted more than 300 entries of videos and photos telling stories of cooperation between China and Kenya since Kenyans attained independence in 1963. Joan Pereruan, a photo editor at Kenya's Nation Media Group, and one of the photo contest judges, said the photos and videos submitted this year were proof of the six-decade-long cooperation between the two countries and told stories of skills transfer and culture exchange.

The contest entries, which were presented to the audience during the award ceremony, told stories of how local lives have been positively impacted by the longstanding cooperation between the two countries, while highlighting major projects by the Chinese government and private investors.

Speaking on behalf of the contest's judges, who were drawn from Kenyan and Chinese media houses, Pereruan said it was a hard task to shortlist the best pieces that made it to the final pool of winners for highlighting milestones achieved during the 60 years of Kenya-China diplomatic ties.

While receiving the awards for the best video, Enock Sikolia, a journalist from CGTN Africa, said his story on Chinese projects in Kenya was inspired by Kenyans' growing interest in development stories. Sikolia's winning video was a description of the development of the China-funded Nairobi Expressway and how it has changed Kenyans' lives, Nairobi's landscape and transportation within the capital city.

Han Xu from Xinhua News Agency won the photography contest for his series of photos depicting the first batch of Chinese tourists arriving in Kenya after the COVID-19 restrictions were lifted. He said he was inspired by the enduring show of friendship between Kenyans and their Chinese visitors despite the pandemic.

Arthur Andambi, the director for Asia, Australasia and Pacific Islands Directorate at Kenya's ministry of foreign and diaspora affairs, thanked the Chinese embassy for organizing the contest, which is an appreciation of those who tell stories of mutual cooperation and growth for both Kenyan and Chinese people. He said the enthusiasm among Kenyans to participate in the photography contest reaffirms the value they attach to the bilateral cooperation with China.

"The relationship between Kenya and China has thrived over the last decade, based on trust, respect, mutual benefits and shared goals. Kenya and China have journeyed together in the pursuit of inclusive growth by leveraging education, trade and infrastructure development in line with the objectives of the Belt and Road Initiative," he said.

Zhang Zhizhong, Minister Counselor of Chinese embassy and one of the contest's judges, said the contest was a celebration of the proposal of building a community with a shared future. He also pointed out that the contest went further to celebrate China and Kenya's shared past and is a preservation of the two countries' shared present for future generations.