China, Neighbors Jointly Prevent Forest Fires
9/7/99
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Title: China, Neighbors Jointly Prevent Forest Fires
Source: Xinhua
Status: Copyright 1999, contact source for permission to reprint
Date: September 7, 1999
KUNMING (Sept. 7) XINHUA - In recent years there have been no reports
of forest fires along the border between China and two of its
neighboring countries, Laos and Myanmar, according to local officials
in south China's Yunnan Province.
By the end of July this year, the Sino-Lao border had had no forest
fires for seven years, and there had been none along the Sino-Myanmar
border for four years.
Local officials in the Xishuangbanna Dai Autonomous Prefecture, which
shares a 784-kilometer-long border line with the two neighbors,
attribute this to the joint efforts of the three countries.
In the past, forest fire control was quite loose in these border
areas, and there were dozens of fires every year, according to the
officials.
In 1992 and 1995, local governments in Yunnan reached agreements with
their counterparts in Laos and Myanmar, respectively, on forest fire
control.
Since the signing of the agreements, local governments in all three
countries have worked together to heighten fire-prevention activities
and create public awareness among the peoples of the border areas.