China reports marked progress on ecological restoration at UN event

BEIJING, June 3 (Xinhua) -- China has achieved remarkable progress on ecological conservation and restoration in recent years, contributing significantly to global efforts to build an ecological civilization, an official with the Ministry of Natural Resources said Monday.

While applying a red line system to demarcate delicate ecological areas, China has restored over 100 million mu (about 6.7 million hectares) of ecosystems that include mountains, rivers, forests, farmlands, lakes, grasslands and deserts, said Lu Lihua during a themed activity held by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) China Office.

Tu Ruihe, head of the office, said China has been highly praised by the international community for launching and advancing the world's largest ecological restoration project. He expressed hope that the country would share its experience with the rest of the world.

The themed activity took place two days ahead of World Environment Day, bringing together representatives from the UN, government bodies, research institutions, businesses, universities and non-governmental organizations.

This year's World Environment Day focuses on land restoration, desertification and drought resilience.