Toyota says it will participate in a third term for the 21st Century Greater Beijing Reforestation Model, a Sino-Japanese afforestation initiative aimed at combating desertification in China.

The China-Japan Scientific Technology & Economic Exchange Association of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, the Hebei Province Forestry Bureau and the Tokyo-based NPO Green Earth Center are the project's other members.

Toyota, as part of its social contribution activities, says it has been a member of the 21st Century Greater Beijing Reforestation Model since April 2001. The initiative aims to prevent the expansion of desertification encroaching on Beijing and other parts of the Chinese capital area. With the NPO Green Earth Center, over the six years of the first and second terms of the initiative, Toyota has planted trees on approximately 2,500 hectares of land, supporting the livelihood of local communities and conducting environmental protection through environmental restoration monitoring, medicinal plant and fruit-tree cultivation, pasture management and other activities. To date, Toyota has provided JPY300 million in funding for the project; it plans to provide JPY150 million more in the third term.

In addition to actual afforestation activities, third-term activities will focus on effectively applying accumulated expertise to firmly establish greening initiatives, as well as on creating a structure to expand afforestation to other regions in the future. Such will be the role of an envisioned 21st Century Greater Beijing Afforestation Center, which the initiative plans to establish in Fengning Man Autonomous County, Hebei Province to further expand the basic infrastructure supporting afforestation in China. The center is intended to foster afforestation experts and disseminate information on greening technology. On May 26, a stone-laying ceremony for the center is to be held at the planned construction site.

During his speech at a signing ceremony in Beijing, Toyota Executive Vice President Yoshimi Inaba said: "To build upon our hitherto achievements and foster personnel to continue further afforestation in the future, we are extending this project for another four years. I hope our efforts will serve as a model for the afforestation of areas that have experienced desertification and help strengthen the goodwill between China and Japan."

In addition to implementing afforestation programs to combat desertification, Toyota has also created the Toyota Environmental Protection Aid Program for China's Youth, providing support for local environmental protection activities. Meanwhile, to promote human resources development, Toyota has established the Toyota Study Assistance Fund and a research center in collaboration with the School of Public Policy & Management at Tsinghua University. And, in the area of traffic safety, Toyota is conducting safe-driving events in collaboration with the Chinese Ministry of Public Security. Toyota aims to be a good corporate citizen and plans to continue contributing to Chinese society.

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