China promises another 40 mln hectares of forest by 2020

Special Report: UN climate change conference in Copenhagen | 2009-12-10

China's State Forestry Administration says from 1980 to 2005, the country cut 5 billion tons of carbon emissions through measures like tree-planting. The Deputy Director-General, Zhu Lieke made the comment in a news conference in Copenhagen on Wednesday.

Zhu says China will continue its efforts by planting an additional 40 million hectares of forest by 2020. He added that China has invested 70 billion US dollars over the past 10 years on tree-planting, forest management and forest conservation.

By the end of last year, national forest coverage in China was the largest in Asia at 195 million hectares. China's planted forest coverage also crowned the world with 6.2 million hectares.