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ndonesian Forestry Minister Zulkilfli Hasan said the Indonesian government wanted closer cooperation with China to develop forest management, particularly in the use of bamboo and rattan.

“China has been widely known for its success in developing sustainable forest management. Its research and development division, in particular, is known for its success in developing the quality of non-timber products, such as bamboo and rattan,” Zulkifli said during a three-day visit to China recently.

“They know how to produce fine quality paper from bamboo while back home our capacity to use [bamboo and rattan] is still quite limited.”

Hadi Daryanto, director general for Production Forest Management said China had marketing ability.

“Their lamination technique is renowned and we should learn about it to add to the quality of our timber and non-timber products,” he said.

During the visit, the forestry ministry signed a five year agreement on forest management knowledge sharing. The China State Forestry Administration in Beijing was represented by Vice Minister Madame Yin Hong.

It was agreed to encourage the use of wood and non-wood products processing technology as well as biomass energy from sustainably managed forests. Also to carry out information exchange on forest land rehabilitation and social forestry.

The agreement also covered cooperation on wildlife and plant protection and the sustainable use of flora and fauna. Both sides agreed to promote forestry law enforcement and sustainable forest management and research.

Hadi said even before the agreement, China had assisted the Forestry Minister office, especially to promote legal timber trading.

“China’s authorities have warned the forestry ministry several times regarding illegal logging activities in the Papua region. Thus we have developed mutual cooperation long before this agreement,” he said.

The Indonesian Ambassador to China, Imron Cotan, said it was very strategic for Indonesia to work
with China to promote sustainable forest management because China was one of the world’s leaders in this field.

“With US$2.55 trillion of [Gross National Product] China has become recognized as one of the world’s new leaders. From the political perspective, there can be no major international problems discussed from now on without China,” he said.  

China has 1.25 million square kilometers of forested areas equivalent to 75 percent of Indonesia’s total and area. China therefore has one of the world’s largest forest areas.

China’s administration has developed environmentally friendly economic activities in or adjacent to forest areas in the form of community forest programs. Through these programs, people get to lease land from the state for 30 to 35 years. They can plant trees and gain profits from forestry products.

The Chinese government said that with such programs there was an increase in the volume of lands planted with trees by local people.

Bilateral cooperation between both administrations on forestry development was initiated in 1992 following the signing of agreements on forest resources management and conservation as well as research, training and extension work.