Sources from the State Forestry Bureau show that by the end of 1998, China had sowed an area of 22.32 million hectares and afforested 9.77 million hectares, raising the country's forest coverage rate by nearly 1 percentage point.

As one of the three major tree-planting methods first adopted 40 years ago in China, aerial sowing not only can proceed at fast speed, save labor, require less input and low cost, but also can go deep into outlying mountainous and sand areas with inconvenient communication facilities, or into places inaccessible to manpower for sowing and tree plantation, thus widening the type of land for reforestation.

Presently, aerial sowing has been introduced to 931 counties, (banners, cities and prefectures) of 26 provinces, autonomous regions (municipalities), accounting for one-fourth of China's existing artificial afforestation area.

Aerial-sown forested areas have produced remarkable ecological efficiency in conserving water and soil, checking wind and fixing drifting sand and improving the soil. The comprehensive role played by aerial sowing has opened up new path for the people living in mountain areas to shake off poverty and build up a fortune.

It is reported that in the process of implementing China's strategy for the massive development of the western regions, the department of forestry will intensify its effort for tree planting through aerial sowing and spread it to remote high mountains and highland in the western regions.