Kenyan president opens CMG's 2025 Great Wildebeest Migration global livestreaming

Kenyan President William Ruto opened the 2025 Great Wildebeest Migration global livestreaming at the world-famous Masai Mara National Reserve in southwest Kenya on Thursday.

In an exclusive interview with China Media Group (CMG), Ruto highly praised the cooperation between Kenya and China in areas such as ecological conservation and cultural exchange. He expressed his anticipation that the live broadcast of Africa's Great Migration, featuring over one million wildebeest and hundreds of thousands of zebras, will vividly showcase Africa's rich heritage to a global audience.

The Masai Mara wildebeest migration is an annual movement of millions of wildebeest, zebras, and other herbivores from Serengeti in Tanzania to Masai Mara in Kenya, primarily between July and October.

This spectacular event, often referred to as the "Great Migration," is driven by the search for fresh grazing land and water. The highlight of the migration is usually the dramatic river crossings of the Mara River, where wildebeest face the risk of predation by crocodiles and other predators.

"Masai Mara is the greatest asset we have as a nation, the only place on the earth where the wildebeest migration happens naturally. Hundreds of thousands, millions of wildebeests crossing the Masai Mara River that repeats itself every year. That is why we believe that there can be a blend between development, environmental conservation, culture and a blend that makes the world sustainable. And the partnership that we have with China in matters conservation, matters culture and much more importantly matters development," he said.

Ruto stated that CMG's live coverage of the epic wildebeest migration in Kenya is aimed not only at Chinese viewers but also has a global reach. He believes it will attract more tourists and business professionals to Kenya, thereby contributing to the country's economic development.

He stressed that this project aligns closely with the consensus he reached with Chinese President Xi Jinping. Such cultural exchange activities will foster a deeper connection between the people of both countries and enhance the development of Kenya-China relations, he said.

"I think it is, it ties in very well with the agreements that I had with President Xi. Your broadcast here of these historic terrific event of the wildebeest migration is part of building the much more solid relationship between our people, the people of China and your audience globally. And as a result, we believe that we are achieving the tenets and the agreements that I had with President Xi of building a closer relationship between Kenya and China," he said.

The live broadcast will take place from July 25 to 27, simultaneously airing globally across multiple platforms.

CMG's coverage will traverse Kenya's national nature reserves, including Masai Mara and Lake Bogoria, capturing the migration spectacle and showcasing the achievements in ecological conservation.

Kenyan president opens CMG's 2025 Great Wildebeest Migration global livestreaming

A former television host from Taiwan, Zhai Xuan, has made a pivotal decision to leave mainstream broadcasting in order to create content that provides a better understanding of the Chinese mainland and cross-strait relations.

Zhai, a seasoned television host with over a decade of experience in Taiwan's media landscape, recently addressed an audience at an event in Beijing, where she revealed her complete transition into independent online media.

In her remarks, she articulated her aspiration to bridge what she perceives as a significant information gap between audiences on both sides of the Strait, highlighting her commitment to fostering a deeper understanding and connection through her new endeavors.

"I was really surprised by all the fake news. There were stories saying people on the mainland can't afford tea eggs or that they live in mud houses and in Taiwan, this was the main information many people received," said Zhai.

Zhai said she initially began producing online videos to challenge such perceptions while continuing her work as a television host.

In April 2025, she travelled to the mainland with her father to fulfill her late grandfather's wish to return to his hometown. The trip, which reunited family members separated since 1949, was recorded in a video series titled "Journey to Find Our Roots", drawing attention from viewers in both Taiwan and the mainland.

"Many people in Taiwan told me that after watching, they wanted to apply for a mainland travel permit immediately and go looking for their relatives. Some had long forgotten these things, but after seeing my story, they began thinking about their hometowns and family members they had never met and decided to search for their roots," Zhai shared her story at the event.

By mid-2025, Zhai said she began to feel increasing pressure amid rising political tensions and a tightening atmosphere around cross-Strait exchanges in Taiwan.

After more than 12 years in the industry, Zhai resigned from her position, believing it was the right thing to do.

"At that moment, I felt this was a major issue，not just for me, but for Chinese people on both sides of the Strait. If I backed down then, I wouldn’t be standing on the right side," said Zhai.

Since leaving television, Zhai has broadened her online programming to encompass a range of daily-life topics, including practical guidance on applying for a mainland travel permit and using commonly employed mobile applications, in addition to content that delves into historical memory and cultural connections across the Strait.

As the debate over cross-Strait relations continues in Taiwan, Zhai said she remains committed to her current path.

Former Taiwan TV host bridges cross-Strait divide via online media