In October 2015, the Wildlife Protection Foundation project launched by Prince William, the Duke of Cambridge, and Yuan Yafei, Chairman of Sanpower Group was officially started. This was the first time a UK Royal Foundation had developed public benefit activities with external cooperation, opening a new era of private public benefit cooperation between China and the UK.

In 2016, China-UK public benefit cooperation matters again achieved fruitful results. The image ambassador appointment conference of United for Wildlife (UFW) was held on 9 March in Lancaster House London. There, Yue Lei, Senior Vice President of Sanpower Group received a letter of appointment as a United for Wildlife image ambassador from Steven Blakey, the UFW executive chairman. As the first Chinese ambassador he now shares official duties with such personages as the Royal Princes William and Harry and Beckham and contributes concerted Chinese effort to global wildlife protection. The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and Royal Foundation project representatives Prince Harry, Victoria Hornby, Sian Bartran, the Deputy Consul-General of the UK in Shanghai, Mathrew Forbes, etc., attended the appointment ceremony and witnessed the important landmark event.

 

 

As the entrusted representative of UFW chairman and Prince William, the Duke of Cambridge of the UK, the executive chairman Steven Blakey presented the letter of appointment to Yue Lei.

 

Steven Blakey, the UFW executive chairman, and Prince William regarded the appointment of Yue Lei as an image ambassador as an affirmation of a recent investment in public benefit by Yue Lei and Sanpower Group. Prince William hoped that Yue would use his influence in Chinese business and social circles to alert Chinese power to the need to take part in the construction of public benefit.

The honour bestowed upon Yue Lei and Sanpower Group by the UFW originated with Prince William’s first visit to China in March 2015. Prince William invited Yuan Yafei, who is also enthusiastic about public welfare, to accompany him to Yunnan to see the wild elephants and they subsequently reached an agreement to set up the Wildlife Protection Foundation. Yue Lei maintains close contact with the Royal Foundation, not only as a member of the hosting team for the Yunnan trip, but also as a Sanpower representative. He signed the Memorandum of Understanding for the foundation in October last year.

 

Being an image ambassador is not only an honour but is also an important mission. Yue Lei noted that taking part in the “golden age” of China-UK relations greatly facilitated the exchange of ideas and cooperation which has expanded to include all fields. The cooperation between British royalty and Sanpower is strengthening the relationship between the two countries but is also effective on an international scale. The cooperation is also a milestone in the development of friendly people-to-people exchanges between the two countries. From now on, Sanpower will take action and invest in the field to promote and practice the idea of public benefit internationalisation. Yue Lei said, “I will set myself as an example to others, take up the mission and contribute more ‘Chinese plans’ and ‘Chinese power’ to the conservation of biodiversity and endangered wildlife.”