African officials, scholars attend training program on urban landscape in China

HANGZHOU, Aug. 22 (Xinhua) -- Eighteen officials and scholars from six African countries are in China for an urban landscape construction and planning training program.

The 14-day training program began on Wednesday in Hangzhou, capital of east China's Zhejiang Province.

The participants from Egypt, Ethiopia, Nigeria, Mauritius, Lesotho and Tunisia will be trained in Hangzhou and Guiyang, the capital of Guizhou Province, among other places.

The training program is hosted by China's Ministry of Commerce and the China National Bamboo Research Center, which is part of the National Forestry and Grassland Administration.

Wu Tonggui, deputy head of the China National Bamboo Research Center, said Hangzhou, dubbed "paradise on earth," epitomizes the harmony between environmental protection and economic development.

Wu said he hoped the program would offer reference suggestions for African countries on how to protect and use their natural resources to create unique landscapes in their cities.

He expressed the hope that the program will encourage African countries to develop forestry and landscape industries to accelerate diversified poverty alleviation plans and help China and Africa join hands to promote modernization and achieve harmonious coexistence between man and nature.

Through lectures, case sharing and on-site teaching, the African trainees will learn landscape design, horticulture and urban planning. They will also visit natural and cultural attractions and participate in cultural activities to learn about new modes of urban landscape development.