A senior Chinese forestry official on Tuesday called for more
exchanges and consultation between China and Southeast Asian
countries to boost even closer cooperation in the field
forestry.
Reducing felling of trees and increase forest coverage has
become the consensus of the region and the entire international
community. China is working for the set target to increase its
forest coverage from the current 18 percent to 23 percent by the
year 2020, said Li Yucai, deputy director of China's State Forestry
Administration at a forum on forestry cooperation.
The forest coverage in China and member countries of the
Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) put together
accounts for 68 percent of Asia's total and 10 percent of the world
's total.
China and ASEAN countries keep close cooperation in the forestry
industry and the scope of cooperation is expanding, with increasing
investment and personnel exchanges, which has promoted the
development of the industry in both sides and contributed to the
increase of forest resources in Asia and the world, Li told
officials and experts at the forum, part of the four-day China-
ASEAN Expo due to close on Wednesday in the southern China city of
Nanning.
Describing increase in exchanges and cooperation as a strategic
choice of forestry industries in China and ASEAN countries, Li put
forward a three-point proposal to reach the goal.
He said China and the ASEAN should give full play to the
existing bilateral and regional cooperation mechanism and increase
exchanges in technologies, information and personnel of the
forestry industry for common growth.
The two sides should explore effective ways for the development
their forestry industries, and enhance consultation on related law
enforcement, administration, forests and climate change, the
sustainable operation of the forest-related business and other
regional and global issues concerning forests.
Li also suggested practical cooperation in maintaining and
developing trade of forest products, promoting technological
progress, strengthening protection of forest resources, boosting
the development of non-wood forest products and carrying out study
in such new areas as the utilization of biomass energy and forest
and climate changes.
According to the official, the forestry industry plays an
important role in economic and social development in China and
ASEAN countries, as well as the ecological conservation and
construction in the whole of Asia.
The industry also has proved to be an effective way for the
realization of the United Nations millennium development goals and
the slowdown of global climate changes, he said.
(Xinhua News Agency October 30, 2007)
