China has set a sustainable goal for its forest management, emphasizing that forest quality is as important as forest area in enhancing the biodiversity of the country's ecosystem, and the focus of forest protection will gradually shift to improving forest quality, according to the country's National Forestry and Grassland Administration on Saturday.

Through sustainable management, it is estimated that in 20 to 30 years, the country's forest growth per unit area could increase by 50 percent. At that time, the annual growth of forest stock volume will be 460 million cubic meters higher than now, according to Liu Keyong, the director of the Forest Resources Management Department of the administration.

"By 2060, the forests' capability of capturing carbon dioxide will further develop, with the average annual carbon dioxide equivalent absorbed reaching the level of 1.8 billion to 2.4 billion tonnes, an increase of 600 to 900 million tonnes from the current level. Meanwhile, forest farmers could make an extra income of 300 yuan (roughly $41) from per mu (about 0.067 hectares) of forestland each year," said Liu.

So far, the country's forest area has reached about 230 million hectares, covering over 24 percent of the country's land area. It is estimated that the coverage rate will reach a new high of 26 percent by 2035. 

Sustainable forest management centers on enhancing the overall quality of woodland. However, the majority of the lands available for afforestation in the country receive less than 400 millimeters of rainfall per year, making them unsuitable for massive tree-planting projects.

At present, the average forest stock volume in China, a key indicator for measuring forest quality, is 95.02 cubic meters per hectare, only about 69 percent of the global average.

Liu said the young and mature forests account for 63.7 percent of the country's total forest area, with great potential for improvement.

"By conducting the sustainable forest management, we hope to increase the forest stock volume and improve the carbon capturing capability and the well-being of the forest ecosystem to enhance the biodiversity, stability and sustainability of our forest ecosystem," he said.