China planted 2.16 billion trees in China last year, State Forestry Administration (SFA) spokesman Cao Qingyao has said.

 

China's top legislative body, the National People's Congress (NPC), passed a resolution in December 1981 calling for voluntary tree planting.

 

China's forest acreage reached 175 million hectares last year, raising the country's percentage of forest cover to 18.21 percent, compared with 12 percent in 1981.

 

According to the spokesman, public green areas have increased from 3.45 square meters per capita to 7.39 square meters over the past 26 years.

 

Nevertheless, China's percentage of forest cover and its per capita forest acreage are only 61.5 percent and 25 percent of the world average.

 

(Xinhua News Agency January 19, 2007)