Representatives turning the first spade of earth

From left: Mr. Meng of China's forestry agency; Mr. Sugano, Sharp's Group Deputy General Manager & CEO China; and Ms. Wang of the Tianjin government

The eight Sharp companies in China^*1 have established the Sharp China-Japan Friendship Forest in Wuqing, Tianjin City, in cooperation with China' forestry agency and the Tianjin forestry bureau. A tree-planting ceremony was held on April 3, 2007 with representatives of these groups in attendance.

This "friendship forest" is a project that will make use of the Sharp Charitable Fund which the Sharp China companies established in 2006 to conduct annual tree planting in the reforestation district in Wuqing, Tianjin every year beginning in 2007. It will create a forested area of 400 mu^*2(about 26.8 hectares) by 2010 as a windbreak to control drifting sand. As its name indicates,the is forest will be developed as a symbol of friendship between the people of the two countries. This year, the first year of the project, 7,400 poplar trees were planted on an area of 100 mu. At the tree-planting ceremony, representatives from the forestry agency, the Tianjin government, and Sharp Corporation joined in turning over the first shovels of earth, and expressed their wishes for the healthy growth of the trees and the development of friendly relations between China and Japan.

Desertification is advancing rapidly in northwest China, and in the Tianjin area , damage from yellow sand is affecting the lives of the people in the region. This project is intended to improve the living environment of local residents by increasing the level of greening and reducing damage from wind and dust storms.