More than 22.952 billion yuan (US$2.76 billion) of the funding came from the central government, up 70.63 percent from the previous year, according to the statistical bulletin released by the State Forestry Administration in Beijing on Sunday.

Last year, good results were reported concerning afforestation in the six leading afforestation projects, including natural forest protection, the conversion of fragile land to forest and windbreak forest construction.

A total of 6.8 million hectares of land were afforested during the period, making up 87.15 percent of the country's total area designated for afforestation last year.

The increase in government funding for afforestation greatly promoted the development of forestry, resulting in the ensuing environmental improvement and the alleviation of soil erosion and desertification in some areas of the country.

Background:

To quicken the steps for a lofty objective of a beautiful landscape in China, the beginning of 2001 saw the plan for the six key forestation projects in China approved by the State Council and was put into the "Tenth Five Year Plan" for operation.

The six key projects include: protection of the natural forest resources; project for returning farmland to forest; construction projects for the key forest protection system in "northeast, north and northwest China" and along the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River; projects for taming the source area of sandstorm in Beijing and Tianjin; projects for protection of wild lives and plants and construction of nature reserves and lastly, the construction projects of a key base for fast growing and rich production woods for timbers.

(Xinhua News Agency June 17, 2003)