Doing the same thing at the same time for the same goal in different countries—The Earth Hour? Well, not this time, but with the same rationale: collective efforts for one great ambition.

This time it’s between Cablescom and Hengtong, in Spain and China. Together, they tell the story of two companies.

Fifty years ago, a group of entrepreneurs brought forth in Spain a new company, named Cables de Comunicaciones (Cablescom), dedicated to the development and extension of the telecommunications infrastructures. The construction began on the tenth day of March in Zaragoza. In a record time of 9 months, a then the world’s most modern company was born.

Fifty years later, on March 10, 2021, successors in Cablescom broke the ground again and planted an olive tree in the company’s compound, setting up a milestone for the past 50 years, and envisioning another flourishing 50 years to come.

Meanwhile, some 6,000 miles eastward, their Hengtong colleagues in China echoed this initiative with a tree planting activity on the next day. In the activity, a cherry blossom tree was planted for Cablescom on the shore of the Taihu Lake, where Hengtong was born 30 years ago.

This is part of the “Hengtong Forest Initiative”, which plans to plant 20,000 trees within 5 years among all of Hengtong’s industrial bases (roughly one tree per Hengtonger worldwide). We wish to play our bit to environmental protection in this manner, and up to date, 80% has been finished.

However, tree planting is not all the two-company story. There’s another joyous resonance. On March 10, Cablescom presented her employees a special gift—bonsai. In doing so, they are not only commemorating the 50th anniversary, but also intended to give their Chinese colleagues a surprise.

It’s really a surprise to see a Spanish company celebrating her birthday with Chinese style gifts! A traditional art originated in China, bonsai is widely adopted in ancient gardens, modern households and working offices in many countries today.

Inspired by this original idea from Cablescom and intended to resonate with them, Hengtong International Business Group also chose bonsai as one of the Women’s Day gifts to present to their “goddesses”. Dear IBG goddesses, now you know why you received the beautiful bonsais. Let’s give appreciation to Cablescom!

This time, bonsai serves as a bridge between Cablescom and Hengtong to connect the history, culture, and emotion of the two companies—We are doing the same thing at the same time for the same goal in different countries!

A Chinese saying goes: It takes 10 years to grow trees, it takes 100 years to cultivate people. Then, how many years must a company walk down, before they can call it an enterprise?

Generations after generations. 50 years later, when our successors come to the company compound for the centenary celebration, will they understand how relevant it is to plant an olive tree amidst a global health crisis 50 years ago? Just as one of Cablescom colleagues says, olive tree symbolizes success, friendship, strength, peace, and immortality. Also as in Genesis, the pigeon who brings back a newly plucked olive leaf in her beak to Noah’s Ark tells us, the flood is subsiding.

50 years later, the cherry blossoms along the east Taihu Lake will be flourishing like fire, the earth will get greener, and we will get “success, friendship, strength, peace, and immortality”.