China responsible for 95% of APEC forest increase

Forest cover in China increased 26.5 million hectares from 2007 to 2020, contributing about 95 percent of the total increase among all 21 members of the APEC, the National Forestry and Grassland Administration said on Wednesday.

The administration also said the forest cover of the Asia-Pacific region grew by a total of 27.9 million hectares during the same period, achieving the goal of increasing forest cover of the region by at least 20 million hectares of all types of forest by 2020.

The goal was set during the 15th Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Leaders' Meeting in Sydney, capital of Australia, in 2007.

"As a member of the APEC, China has promoted the rehabilitation of forest cover in the region, and has made great contributions to achieving the goal set in Sydney," the administration said.

To do that, China has revised policies and regulations on forestry and grasslands and proposed the establishment of the Asia-Pacific Network for Sustainable Forest Management and Rehabilitation (APFNet) in 2008, a non-profit international organization dedicated to boosting forest management and rehabilitation in the region.

As of last year, APFNet had carried out 50 programs on sustainable forest management and rehabilitation, established cooperative partnerships with 11 international organizations and offered professional training to staff from 26 economies.