Professor Heinrich Spiecker has introduced new concepts, new technologies, and new equipment of close-to-nature afforestation from Germany and even Europe to China, making a positive contribution to China's ecological protection and restoration.

In 26-28 September 2023, Professor Heinrich Spiecker, the winner of 2021 Chinese Government Friendship Award on the recommendation of Chinese Academy of Forestry (CAF), visited China to attend the award ceremony.

On 27 September 2023, the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security (State Administration of Foreign Experts Affairs) held the Award Ceremony of Chinese Government Friendship Award in Beijing. The next day, the Premier of the State Council met with representatives of foreign experts who won the Chinese Government Friendship Award at the Great Hall of the People. Professor Spiecker participated in the meeting as one of the award-winning experts.

On the eve of the award ceremony, high-level officials from National Forestry and Grassland Administration of China (NFGA) met with Professor Heinrich Spiecker and congratulated him on winning the Chinese Government Friendship Award. His efforts in promoting sustainable forest management in China were highly appreciated by China and it was hoped that Mr. Spiecker would continue to work with China to improve forest quality and forest ecosystem functions. Professor Spiecker introduced his cooperation with NFGA and CAF, and expressed his great gratitude to the Chinese government for awarding the Friendship Award and looked forward to continuing to cooperate with China. Professor. Cui Lijuan, Vice President of the Chinese Academy of Forestry, attended the meeting.

Professor Heinrich Spiecker was the former director of the Institute for Forest Growth of University of Freiburg of Germany and an internationally renowned expert in the fields of forest growth, sustainable forest management, and close-to-nature silviculture. In the past 20 years, he has visited China 38 times, actively promoting Sino-Germany cooperation in forestry scientific research and technical assistance, and providing on-site guidance on the establishment of forest management experimental and demonstration sites. Professor Heinrich Spiecker worked with different forestry research institutes in China and conducted joint research, experimental demonstration and capacity-building activities on forest management in 14 provinces/cities in China. Through the cooperation, new concepts, new technologies, and new equipment of close-to-nature forest management from Germany, and even more, elsewhere in Europe, have been introduced to China, based on which more than 100 experimental demonstration sites have been established for typical forest types, making a positive contribution to China's ecological protection and restoration.

Prof. Heinrich Spiecker giving a presentation at the Chinese Academy of Forestry

(Photo by Zhang Jinxiao)