Our Privacy Statement & Cookie Policy

By continuing to browse our site you agree to our use of cookies, revised Privacy Policy and Terms of Use. You can change your cookie settings through your browser.

I agree

China sets up fund to support Three-North Shelterbelt Forest Program

CGTN

China has established a special fund to offer financial support for the Three-North Shelterbelt Forest Program (TSFP), a large-scale afforestation project, amid the country's continuous efforts to fight desertification and restore the ecological environment, according to a circular made public on Monday.

A total of 12 billion yuan (about $1.7 billion) has been earmarked from this year's central budget for the program, and subsequent funds will be allocated in accordance with needs in the following years, according to a statement on the Ministry of Finance (MOF) website.

The hinterland of the Horqin Sandy Land in Tongliao City, Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, north China, September 14, 2020. /CFP
The hinterland of the Horqin Sandy Land in Tongliao City, Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, north China, September 14, 2020. /CFP

The hinterland of the Horqin Sandy Land in Tongliao City, Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, north China, September 14, 2020. /CFP

Apart from the fund, other measures dedicated to supporting the program include strengthening existing fiscal funding support, channeling social funds into the program and implementing preferential tax policies, said the circular jointly released by the MOF and the National Development and Reform Commission.

According to the circular, efforts will be made to promote the control of desertification in three key areas: the areas near the meandering bends of the Yellow River, the two sandy lands of Horqin and Otindag, and the Hexi Corridor-Taklimakan Desert region.

Roe deer gallop in the hinterland of the Otindag Sandy Land in Xilingol League in north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, June 10, 2023. /CFP
Roe deer gallop in the hinterland of the Otindag Sandy Land in Xilingol League in north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, June 10, 2023. /CFP

Roe deer gallop in the hinterland of the Otindag Sandy Land in Xilingol League in north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, June 10, 2023. /CFP

Launched in 1978, the TSFP consists of afforestation in northwest, north and northeast China. Over the years, China has made constant efforts to shore up the ecological barrier in northern China.

At the end of May, during a research trip to north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng urged efforts to fight desertification in the eastern part of the program.

The vice premier stressed the need to focus on key projects, promote the use of effective desert control methods in accordance with local conditions, consolidate and expand the desert control outcomes, and advance ecological industries.

(Cover: "Green barriers" help conserve water and soil for the Three-North Shelterbelt Forest Program, Zhangjiakou City, Hebei Province, north China, August 27, 2022. /CFP)

Source(s): Xinhua News Agency
Search Trends