Ground was broken on January 26 for the new headquarters of the International Network of Bamboo and Rattan(INBAR), the first international, non-profit, inter-governmental organization to be based in China.

Chinese Vice-Premier Qian Qichen, INBAR Board Chairperson Gordon Smith and Co-Chairperson Jiang Zehui, who is also president of the Chinese Academy of Forestry, attended the ceremony.

Jointly initiated by the Chinese and Canadian governments, INBAR was officially established in Beijing on November 6, 1997, and has 21 member countries from Asia, Africa, Europe and North and South America.

INBAR was formed tp coordinate strategic research that would improve conditions for producers and users of bamboo and rattan, INBAR Director-General Ian Hunter said at the ceremony.

Hunter thanked the Chinese government for its support in providing office space, equipment and funding operations for the organization. China has agreed to granting financial support to INBAR for its first five years and to pay for its custom-designed offices.

He praised China for its creative use of bamboo which dates back over thousands of years.