The 5th “Beijing International Friendship Forrest” Tree Planting Event was held in the Shahe Town Green Base, Changping District, Beijing, on March 23. Under the theme “Greener Beijing, Closer Friendship” the event attracted more than 300 participants including foreign diplomats from over 30 countries and regions such as the U.S., Russia, Germany, and ROK, representatives of the Beijing branches of international organizations and institutions, as well as overseas students.
In a vivid and friendly atmosphere, international friends residing in Beijing from all over the world planted a hundred trees altogether. Chinese and foreign participants alike were awarded the “Homeland Greening Certificate of Honor.” Young Chinese and foreign representatives read out together a proposal, calling for everyone – regardless of nationality and age – to plant trees, protect the environment and strive for a greener Beijing.
Zhang Qian, executive vice president of the BPAFFC, said the aim of the event is for Chinese and non-Chinese alike to come together to sow the seeds of friendship and build Beijing into an international livable city, one defined by clear sky, blue water, unpolluted earth and green land. H.E. Mohamed Faisal, ambassador of the Republic of Maldives in China, said: “In the four years since I worked in Beijing, I have witnessed the great achievements of Beijing in recent years, especially the improvement of the ecological environment in and around Beijing. I believe that tree-planting events of the kind are very important for the building of a livable city, and I fully support efforts that Beijing has made for the building of a green ecological city. I hope the saplings we plant today may grow into towering trees as early as possible and contribute to the beauty of Beijing.”
H.E. Leela Mani Paudyal, Nepal’s ambassador to China, said, “It’s my first time to participate in this event. As an environmentalist, I’m delighted to attend such public benefit events for environmental protection, which I believe are of great significance. In recent years, the Beijing Municipal Government has made enormous efforts to tackle air pollution leading to declining number of heavy pollution days in Beijing and better environment. These outstanding achievements not only benefit Beijing and China, but also contribute to the environmental protection of the whole world.” Till Martin of Germany and General Manager of the Hyatt Regency Beijing Wangjing, said, “I lived in Beijing for years and it’s my third time to participate in the event. Beijing has done a great job in greening and there are more and more trees and flowers. ‘Beijing International Friendship Forest’ is a meaningful event to promote the greening of the city.”
The “Beijing International Friendship Forest” Tree Planting Event is one of the seven major tree-planting activities during spring in Beijing, featuring the longest history, largest number of foreign friends and foreign countries involved. It has been held for 5 years in consecutive, with around 5,000 trees of different varieties planted by more than 1,500 foreign friends from over 100 countries and international organizations. The event has boosted friendship, improved the environment, and attracted a large number of foreign followers. The site has become a green base in Beijing to promote people-to-people exchanges and ecological civilization ideas.
The event was jointly hosted by BPAFFC, the Foreign Affairs Office of the People’s Government of Beijing Municipality, the Capital Greening Office, the Beijing Youth Federation, the Beijing NGO Network and the People’s Government of Changping District.
