EDITOR NOTES: The cooperation between forest scientists from the Beijing Forestry University and the Fakultt für Forstwissenschaften und Waldkosysteme der Universitt Gttingen has lasted for 15 years, and a great many of achievements have been gained in the fields of tree physiology, etc.To broaden this cooperation in the coming years,a Chinese delegation visited Institut für Forstbotanik der Universitt Gttingen in May of 2000 with the main purpose of participating a symposium in the honor of 15 years of cooperation.This article was just delivered in the introductory lecture of the symposium.We hope that its publication will be beneficial to further understanding of forestry development in China and to future exchange of scientific researches between China and the West. EDITOR NOTES: The cooperation between forest scientists from the Beijing Forestry University and the Fakultt für Forstwissenschaften und Waldkosysteme der Universitt Gttingen has lasted for 15 years, and a great many achievements have been gained in the fields of tree physiology, etc.To broaden this cooperation in the coming years, a Chinese delegation visited Institut für Forstbotanik der Universitt Gttingen in May of 2000 with the main purpose of participating a symposium in the honor of 15 years of cooperation.This article was just delivered in the introductory lecture of the symposium. We hope that its publication will be beneficial to further understanding of forestry development in China and to future exchange of scientific researches between China and the West.