On April 16, the 2022 Beijing International Friendship Forest Tree Planting Event was held in Manjingxi Village, Shahe Township, Changping District. The event was organized under the theme "Together for a Greener Beijing".

Dr. Palitha Kohona, Ambassador of Sri Lanka to China, delivers a speech. [Photo by Ma Chao] 

Dr. Palitha Kohona, the Sri Lankan Ambassador to China, hailed China's great progress in afforestation and carbon neutrality work and said that Sri Lanka was willing to strengthen cooperation with China to make our planet greener together.

Dr. Palitha Kohona pointed out that Beijing has made great progress in air pollution control in the past 15 years since his first visit to Beijing in 2007, stating that "Beijing is one of the cleanest cities on the globe." Dr. Palitha Kohona also hoped that more countries can work together and work harder to improve the ecological environment.

Foreigner volunteers walk to the tree planting area. [Photo by Wang Yikun] 

Mrs. Melissa Pryce, Charge d'Affaires a.i. of the Embassy of Jamaica in China, praised Beijing as a very friendly city.

Tim Hirschberg, who participated in the event on behalf of the project Deutscher Akademischer Austauschdienst (The German Academic Exchange Service) at Beijing Foreign Studies University said that he had come to the event to experience the greening work and the natural environment.

Michael Crook [Photo by Ma Chao] 

Isabel Crook, a 107-year-old winner of the "Friendship Medal" of the People's Republic of China participated in the event with her son Michael Crook, chairman of the International Committee for the Promotion of Chinese Industrial Cooperatives, and his family. Michael Crook said that environmental protection is an important part of their lives and that it will continue to be so for later generations.

Foreign volunteers plant saplings. [Photo by Ma Chao]

During the event, more than 200 saplings were planted. Certificates of Honor for Land Greening were issued by the organizers to the participating domestic and international volunteers.

With seven sessions celebrated and over 5,500 trees planted so far, the Beijing International Friendship Forest Tree Planting Event has become a grand gathering for reforestation attended by the most foreign volunteers and most participating nationalities in Beijing.