China's mangrove forests now cover 31,700 hectares (78,300 acres), marking steady progress in the country's efforts to restore and protect its ecosystems.

The figure was released by the Ministry of Natural Resources (MNR) on July 26, the International Day for the Conservation of the Mangrove Ecosystem. It is based on data from the 2025 national land survey, which measures China's land resources at the end of each year.

According to CGTN's calculations based on official data, China added about 1,400 hectares (3,460 acres) of mangroves over the past year, an increase of roughly 4.6 percent. This makes China one of the few countries in the world where mangrove coverage continues to expand.  

From 2020 to 2025, China added more than 9,200 hectares (22,700 acres) of new mangroves, slightly exceeding the 9,050-hectare target set under a five-year action plan launched in 2020.

The MNR said it was planning to publish an action plan for 2026–2030 with new targets to guide local governments in further advancing mangrove protection and restoration.

According to the MNR, China's mangrove area has increased by about 44 percent since  the beginning of the century. It said that alongside the steady expansion in area, the quality, stability and carbon sequestration capacity of the country's mangrove ecosystems have also improved significantly. More than 90 percent of China's mangrove forests are now protected under the country's ecological conservation redline policy.

The MNR also said that China has continued to expand pathways for realizing the ecological value of mangrove ecosystems, an effort aimed at turning ecological resources into sustainable economic and social benefits.

As environmental news outlet Dialogue Earth has observed, change in size is no longer the sole measure of success, and China has been evolving its strategy and approach to mangrove conservation.