Wang Sumei, Vice Director of the Municipal Afforestation Bureau, told a press conference at the Beijing Olympic Media Center Wednesday that Beijing has made a great effort to make its promises on ecological conservation come true.
In its bid Beijing pledged to afforest 50 per cent of its land area by 2008, which was met in 2005 when 1.054 million nectars of land, or 50.5 per cent of the total land area, had been afforested. This year Wang said the figure is expected to reach 51.6 per cent.
The city initially pledged to afforest 70 per cent of its mountainous area and by the end of 2006 trees had been planted on 69.52 per cent of mountains and hills. The figure is expected to reach 70.49 per cent by the end of this year.
Beijing has built three “green shelters” said Wang, covering an area of 60,000 hectares of land and a green belt of 25,000 hectares along five waterways and ten highways has been completed, more than the 230,000 initially promised. The city also realized its goal to green 40 per cent of its urban area by 2005.
Wang said Beijing has created 20 ecological conservation zones with a combined area of 134,000 hectares or 8.18 per cent of its territory, more than the eight per cent pledged. She added a conservation network has been formed to protect more than 90 per cent of important wildlife species and their habitat.
Meanwhile CNA reports that Taiwan welcomes Beijing’s move to address it with the official title it uses in the International Olympic Committee (IOC), according to Government Information Office Minister Shieh Jhy-wey who made the comment Wednesday.
