President hails eco-friendly policies of bamboo group

Nation's actions will lead to a better community for all and a beautiful world, says Xi as he congratulates organization on 20th anniversary

China will continue to work with the international community to implement the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and contribute its experiences and efforts to global ecological progress, President Xi Jinping said in a congratulatory letter to an intergovernmental organization's annual meeting on Nov 6.

The nation's actions will help lead to a better community for all and a beautiful world, Xi wrote to the International Bamboo and Rattan Organization, which is celebrating its 20th anniversary in Beijing. It was the first intergovernmental organization established in China and now includes 43 member states.

"In the past 20 years, INBAR has played a positive role in accelerating the development of global bamboo and rattan resources, promoting poverty alleviation, boosting trade in bamboo and rattan products and facilitating sustainable development," Xi wrote in the letter.

"China will stick to its commitment to achieving harmony between humans and nature, advancing ecological conservation, pursuing green development and building a beautiful China," he wrote.

Jiang Zehui, co-chairman of the INBAR board, says bamboo and rattan benefit climate change mitigation. She says well-managed bamboo forests can sequester significantly more carbon than tree forests. Also, emerging technologies in biogas - which can be produced from bamboo - can supply clean power.

The Statement on Bamboo and Rattan for Green Sustainable Development and South-South Cooperation was released at the conference. It noted that bamboo and rattan are climate-smart approaches that add value to forestry and agriculture strategies via mitigation and landscape restoration.

INBAR has played an important role in the United Nations' efforts in poverty reduction, environmental protection and the green economy, says UN Under-Secretary-General Liu Zhenmin. In order to promote South-South and South-North collaboration, INBAR has provided answers for sustainable livelihoods and ecosystem management for millions, he says.

China has long promoted ecological restoration and the green economy. The State Forestry Administration says the country's forest coverage has risen from 8.6 percent in the 1950s to 21.66 percent last year.

"We will keep supporting the development of the bamboo and rattan industry and further strengthen cooperation with other countries for future opportunities, contributing our innovative ideas and experiences to the development of the world green economy," says Zhang Jianlong, head of the administration.

The groundbreaking Bamboo and Rattan List was also released during the conference. A total of 1,642 bamboos and 631 rattans are included, which will play a crucial role in future scientific research and use.

yangwanli@chinadaily.com.cn

(China Daily Africa Weekly 11/10/2017 page15)