National forest cover continues to increase

In 2020, the forestry industry hit 7.55 trillion yuan ($1.18 trillion) and provided employment for more than 34 million people, he said.

Forests are home to about 80 percent of the world's terrestrial biodiversity, with more than 60,000 tree species, according to the United Nations' Food and Agriculture Organization.

However, the world is losing 10 million hectares of forest each year, an area roughly the size of Iceland.

The United Nations General Assembly proclaimed March 21 the International Day of Forests in 2012 to raise awareness of the importance of all types of forest. Countries are encouraged to undertake local, national and international efforts to organize activities involving forests and trees, such as tree planting campaigns.

In February, the NFGA released a five-year plan, which revealed that China aims to boost the annual output of its forest and grasslands sector to 9 trillion yuan ($1.41 trillion) by 2025.

In addition, it will create a relatively complete modern forest and grassland industry in the next five years, and become a leader in the international trading of forest and grassland products, with annual imports and exports to reach an estimated value of $195 billion.