China firmly upholds red line for farmland protection

Guan Zhiou, minister of natural resources and general supervisor of national natural resources, and Liu Guohong, director of the National Forestry and Grassland Administration (National Park Administration), attend a press conference held by the State Council Information Office (SCIO) on achievements in high-quality natural resources development during the 14th Five-Year Plan period (2021-2025) in Beijing, capital of China, Sept. 10, 2025. (Xinhua/Cai Yang)

BEIJING, Sept. 10 (Xinhua) -- China has firmly upheld the red line for farmland protection, gradually establishing an integrated framework for the quantity, quality, and ecological preservation of farmland, Guan Zhiou, minister of natural resources, said on Wednesday.

By the end of 2024, China's total farmland area reached nearly 1.94 billion mu (129.33 million hectares), an increase of 28 million mu compared to 2020, Guan told a press conference.

China has been stepping up efforts to ensure the total area of its farmland does not fall below the red line of 1.8 billion mu.

China's national forest coverage rate has reached 25.09 percent, an increase of approximately 2 percentage points since 2020, making the country the world's fastest and largest contributor to afforestation, Guan said.

Meanwhile, the gross ocean product (GOP) reached 10.5 trillion yuan (about 1.48 trillion U.S. dollars), an increase of 2.7 trillion yuan compared to 2020.

In 2024, China's GOP surpassed 10 trillion yuan for the first time, marking a major milestone for its marine economy.

Guan Zhiou, minister of natural resources and general supervisor of national natural resources, speaks at a press conference held by the State Council Information Office (SCIO) on achievements in high-quality natural resources development during the 14th Five-Year Plan period (2021-2025) in Beijing, capital of China, Sept. 10, 2025. (Xinhua/Cai Yang)

A journalist asks questions at a press conference held by the State Council Information Office (SCIO) on achievements in high-quality natural resources development during the 14th Five-Year Plan period (2021-2025) in Beijing, capital of China, Sept. 10, 2025. (Xinhua/Cai Yang)

The State Council Information Office (SCIO) holds a press conference on achievements in high-quality natural resources development during the 14th Five-Year Plan period (2021-2025) in Beijing, capital of China, Sept. 10, 2025. (Xinhua/Cai Yang)