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Co-organized by China and Australia, with the support from the United States of America and The Nature Conservancy (TNC), the Symposium on Sustainable Forest Management- Launch of the Asia-Pacific Network for Sustainable Forest Management and Rehabilitation (APFNet) was held in Beijing from October 25-27, 2008, signifying the inauguration of APFNet.

The Symposium brought together more than 120 participants from APEC and non-APEC economies, regional and international organizations, scientific institutions, the private sector and the civil society.

The official launching ceremony of APFNet was chaired by China, with high-level officials from Australia, USA, APEC Secretariat, and related ministries in China delivering the welcome remarks.

The website of APFNet established by China was launched following the opening remarks of the ceremony. As an effective dissemination instrument in the information age, the website is crucial to fulfill the aim of the Network in facilitating information exchange and sharing.

After the launching ceremony and initiation of the website, participants actively participated in the open discussions, explored the future priority areas and approaches of APFNet and shared experiences and lessons learned in the development and implementation of sustainable forest management.

The two-day Symposium was followed by a one-day field trip on the forestry development of Beijing.