China's forestry output tops 7 trln yuan in 2018

BEIJING - China's forestry sector output reached 7.33 trillion yuan (about $1.1 trillion) in 2018, 2.88 percent up from than in 2017, according to the National Forestry and Grassland Administration.

The growth came amid the country's ongoing drive for environmentally-friendly development, as the government banned grazing on degraded grasslands, increased financial input and stepped up law enforcement in the sector.

China's desertified land has shrunk by 10 million hectares since 2012, while nearly 34 million hectares of forest has been planted, bringing the national forest coverage to 21.66 percent.

China unveiled a plan last November to enhance land greening and boost domestic ecological resources.

Under the plan, China will increase its forest coverage to 23.04 percent by 2020, while the volume of forest resources will expand to 16.5 billion cubic meters.