Siemens Joint Venture Donates to China's Largest Nature ReserveBeijing International Switching System Corp.(BISC), a Siemens joint venture in China, donated four jeeps on November 9 to China's largest nature reserve, the home to many endangered wild animals including Tibetan antelopes.This was the first donation the nature reserve has received since it was founded last August. The nature reserve, located at the source of the Yangtze River, the Yellow River and the Lancang River, covers an area of 318,000 square kilometers with an average altitude of 4,000 meters. The natural environment near the source of the three rivers has been severely damaged recently due to dry weather, irrational usage of natural resources and illegal hunting. The total number of Tibetan antelopes has dropped from over 100,000 to less than 30, 000. Protection of the source of the three rivers is critical for the protection of the environment of the middle and lower reaches and also influences the environment of China and Aoutheast Asia, said Ma Fu, vice director of the State Forestry Administration. The nature reserve faces difficulties due to its rough natural environment and the difficult financial situation of the local government, and the Chinese Government welcomes the support from at home and abroad, he added. Arndt Heinz Spahn, president of BISC, said that the company places importance on environmental protection and hopes its efforts will benefit the country. BISC is the largest joint venture of Siemens in China and the switching systems it produces are commonly used in China. The Lancang River, originating in the Tangula Mountain in West China, is named Mekong after it enters into Laos, Myanmar, Thailand and Cambodia. |
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