China unveils six measures for forestry, grassland protection

China's National Forestry and Grassland Administration has outlined ambitious targets for 2030, while a senior official detailed six key measures to realize these goals during the 15th Five-Year Plan period (2026-2030).

China aims to increase forest coverage to 25.8 percent by 2030, raise forest stock volume to 22.4 billion cubic meters, and expand the sector's total output value to 14 trillion yuan (about 2 trillion U.S. dollars), according to the plan issued by the National Forestry and Grassland Administration and three other government departments.

The plan also targets decisive progress in landmark projects for the national shelterbelt program in northwest, north and northeast China by 2030.

It outlines efforts to carry out large-scale afforestation campaigns, develop the system of protected areas, and foster and expand the forestry and grassland industry.

"Comprehensively advance the construction of the nature reserve system. Build national parks to high standards, implement the integration and optimization of nature reserves, carry out rescue protection for 165 species of critically endangered national key protected wild animals and plants, and comprehensively protect wetlands," said Zou Qinghao, deputy director of the Planning and Finance Department at the National Forestry and Grassland Administration.

The forestry and grassland industry will be cultivated and strengthened. This includes improving wood self-sufficiency rates, increasing forage supply, revitalizing the forestry and grassland seed industry, unlocking the spatial potential of forestry and grassland resources, vigorously developing under-forest economy, expanding the forest grain bank, and fostering new consumption application scenarios.

Collaborative efforts will be made to strengthen ecological security capacity building. Forest and grassland fire prevention and control capabilities will be enhanced, and harmful biological organisms in forests and grasslands will be controlled. The average annual disaster rates for forest fires and grassland fires will be kept within 0.7 per thousand and 1.8 per thousand respectively.

Reforms in key areas will be continuously deepened. This includes advancing the collective forest rights system reform, accelerating the construction of modern state-owned forest farms, promoting green transformation and development of state-owned forest areas, deepening the grassland protection system reform, and improving the sustainable forest management system.

Innovation-driven development and open cooperation will be vigorously promoted.

"Enhance scientific and technological innovation capabilities, strengthen the transformation and application of scientific and technological achievements, implement high-level opening up to the outside world, and strengthen the construction of forestry and grassland talent teams," said Zhou.

China unveils six measures for forestry, grassland protection

China's general public budget revenue and expenditure both increased steadily in the first half of this year, the Ministry of Finance said on Wednesday.

The country's general public budget revenue -- the sum of tax revenue and non-tax revenue -- rose 4.7 percent year on year to about 12.1 trillion yuan (about 1.78 trillion U.S. dollars).

In the January-June period, the country's tax revenue totaled 9.79 trillion yuan, an increase of 5.3 percent year on year. The growth rate was 3.1 percentage points higher than that recorded in the first three months of the year, according to the ministry.

Specifically, revenue from domestic value-added tax in the period increased 6 percent, while that from import-linked value-added tax and domestic consumption tax rose 11.8 percent. Stamp duty on stock transactions surged by 97.3 percent.

"The main reason is that China's economy is resilient and dynamic, sustaining a generally steady and positive development trend in the first half of this year. Meanwhile, factors such as rising prices, a buoyant stock market, and strong foreign trade growth also strongly supported the growth of fiscal revenue," said Ma Hongbing, deputy director of the Treasury Department of the Ministry of Finance, at a press conference.

On the spending side, the country's general public budget expenditure climbed 1.5 percent year on year to 14.33 trillion yuan during the first six months of the year.

Social security and employment spending rose 7.6 percent year on year to 2.64 trillion yuan, while health expenditure jumped 10.8 percent to 1.22 trillion yuan.

China will implement a more proactive fiscal policy in 2026, with the deficit-to-GDP ratio set at around 4 percent, according to this year's government work report. Expenditure in the general public budget is projected to reach 30 trillion yuan for the first time, an increase of roughly 1.27 trillion yuan compared with 2025.

China's general public budget revenue, expenditure both see increase in H1