Timeline

1950: The department responsible for forestry and land reclamation launches its first national working conference. The central government issues guidance to protect forests and plant more trees in specific areas. The first land law is released, defining all natural resources as owned by the State.

1951: The Chinese Society of Forestry is established in Beijing.

1962: The State Council releases a notice prohibiting any activities that would devastate forests and farmland. It also emphasizes the importance of the correct use of flora, fauna and related resources. Premier Zhou Enlai tells a national conference that logging should be well-planned to ensure sustainable development.

1978: The government launches the Three-North Shelterbelt Program to improve the environment in the Northwest, North and Northeast. The program aims to develop a large-scale shelter forest system to improve both the environment and people's livelihoods.

1979: The Forest Law is passed at the sixth plenary meeting of the Fifth National People's Congress. The State Council announces March 12 as National Arbor Day.

1980: China submits documents to join the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora. CITES is an international agreement between governments, aimed at ensuring that the international trade in specimens of wild animals and plants does not threaten their survival.

1981: China becomes a formal member of CITES.

1998: The central government implements the Natural Forest Protection Program in 16 provinces, including Heilongjiang, Jilin, Hebei, Yunnan, Hunan and Liaoning.

1999: The Conversion of Cropland to Forest and Grassland Program is launched. It aims to minimize widespread soil erosion and degradation of vegetation, and improve water conservation.

2018: The State Forestry and Grassland Administration is established. It is responsible for overseeing and managing the development and protection of forests, grassland, wetland, deserts and wildlife, as well as organizing environmental protection and restoration, afforestation and the management of national parks.

2019: The administration releases its ninth national forest resources survey. It shows that the country's forest coverage has risen from 12.7 percent (1973-76) to 22.96 percent (2014-18).

During these periods, the forest growing stock, or trees in nurseries, rose by 102 percent to 17.5 billion cubic meters.