The Seminar on Bamboo and Rattan Technology Innovation for Developing Countries opened in Beijing on 4 June 2026, sponsored by the Ministry of Commerce of China and organized by ICBR and co-organized by the International Bamboo and Rattan Organization (INBAR). Xu Qiangxing, Deputy Director General of the ‌Department of International Cooperation of the National Forestry and Grassland Administration of China, Li Lan, Deputy Director General of INBAR, and Qin Daochun, Director General of ICBR spoke at the opening ceremony.

In his remarks, Qin Daochun noted that bamboo and rattan are important renewable resources widely distributed in developing countries across Asia, Africa, and Latin America, and are precious treasures bestowed by nature upon humanity. This seminar aims to share China's policies, technologies, experiences, and achievements in the sustainable development and utilization of bamboo resources, industrial development, and scientific and technological innovation, particularly in the area of "bamboo as a substitute for plastics," so that participants from various countries can fully recognize the important role of bamboo in sustainable economic, social, and environmental development.

Xu Qiangxing remarked that this seminar represents a concrete practice in implementing China’s Belt and Road Initiative and Global Development Initiative, deepening South-South cooperation, advancing the "Bamboo as a Substitute for Plastics" initiative, and promoting exchanges and cooperation among developing countries in the fields of forestry, grassland, bamboo, and rattan.

Li Lan stated that this year marks the fourth anniversary of the "Bamboo as a Substitute for Plastics" initiative jointly launched by China and INBAR. The two sides have carried out a series of concrete actions internationally, deepening international cooperation under the Global Development Initiative.

Thirty-one participants from nine countries—the Gambia, Kenya, Moldova, Rwanda, the Solomon Islands, South Africa, Thailand, Tonga, and Zimbabwe—are attending this seminar. Over the next 14 days, the participants will systematically learn about China's advanced technologies and practices in bamboo and rattan cultivation, processing and utilization, scientific and technological innovation, industrial development through thematic lectures, field visits, and cultural experiences, in Beijing and Hainan.