On the morning of April 15, 2023, the iBeijing 2023 Beijing International Friendship Forest Tree Planting Event was launched in Aobei Forest Park (Phase II) in Changping District. Nearly 200 representatives, including foreign envoys, foreign experts in Beijing, and representatives of international students from about 50 countries, including Nepal, India, Panama, Guyana, the United States, and the United Kingdom, participated in the event.

The theme of this year's event was "Together for a Greener Development". The planting site was located in Aobei Forest Park (Phase II), Changping District. The event serves as a key task for the environmental construction in the area of Huitian (Huilongguan and Tiantongyuan). It will directly provide more green recreational spaces for a population of 1.1 million people.

Chinese and foreign friends planted more than 200 saplings of various tree species, such as lacebark pine, Shandong maple, and those of the genus of Platanus. According to Zhang Qian, Executive Vice President of Beijing People's Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries, the forest coverage rate of Beijing has reached 44.8 percent, the urban greening coverage rate has reached 49.3 percent, and the annual carbon sink capacity of the forest and green land ecosystems has reached 8.8 million tons, and all these are inseparable from the contributions of nearly 2,000 foreign friends who have participated in the eight sessions of Beijing International Friendship Forest Tree Planting Event. Beijing International Friendship Forest Tree Planting Event has been well received by foreign friends. It was initiated in 2015 and has been held for eight consecutive sessions, with a total of over 5,800 trees of various species planted and nurtured.

H.E. Mrs. Anyin Choo, Ambassador of the Cooperative Republic of Guyana to China, delivered a speech on behalf of the foreign participants present. In her speech, she stated that over 80 percent of the land in her home country is covered by pristine forests and, therefore, she understands the importance of afforestation in improving environment. Beijing International Friendship Forest Tree Planting Event not only adds greenery and beauty to Beijing but also serves as a practical measure to address climate change. Mrs. Choo called on people from all countries to work together in building a greener and more beautiful world and wished that the friendship among nations would remain evergreen like the pine trees planted during the event.

It is reported that Beijing International Friendship Forest Tree Planting Event has become a tree planting event in Beijing with the largest numbers of foreign participants and countries. The event has deepened the affection of foreign friends towards the city of Beijing and showcased the charm and vitality of a harmonious and livable world-class cosmopolitan city. It has also contributed to the construction of a beautiful Beijing and the promotion of green development.

(Source: The Beijing News)