China has strengthened efforts to crack down on illegal logging
and timber trading, the State Forestry Administration (SFA) said
yesterday.
Its spokesman Cao Qingyao denied accusations of China plundering
the world's rainforests to meet its booming demand for wood. "The
statement concerning the question that China's large demand for
timber results in illegal logging and smuggling from Asia is
groundless," Cao said at a news conference.
"China consistently upholds and puts into practice collective
international responsibility, opposing and cracking down on illegal
logging and illegal wood imports," he said. "We have very strict
import controls."
He also urged other countries to take preventative measures to
deal with illegal logging activities.
China has joined with other countries to fell and process timber
in legal projects with cooperation from governments, state-owned
enterprises and private businesses, Cao explained. He said China's
timber trade would be stable in the next few years with exports not
exceeding imports.
Though some wood products such as paper, pulp, logs and timber
are in short supply, many other products such as furniture have
been exported to other countries, Cao said.
Last year China's trade in timber products saw a surplus for the
first time when it reached US$3.064 billion. The country's top
timber trade partners are Russia, the US, Indonesia, Canada and
Japan. Cao said the government was focusing on becoming
self-reliant for timber.
China's timber supply was 325.9 million cubic meters in 2005,
which was fractionally higher than a demand of 325.7 million cubic
meters, according to?SFA.
Cao cited a survey showing that young and middle-aged trees
account for approximately 67.85 percent of China's forestry
resources, which indicates the country's timber supply is rich and
sustainable.
(China Daily August 16, 2006)
