Beijing’s green revolution has redefined environmental leadership, with China now holding the world’s largest and quickest-expanding forest estate at 3.614 billion mu, per the National Forestry and Grassland Administration.
The 14th Five-Year Plan saw 185 million mu afforested, akin to Fujian province’s size, cementing China’s supremacy in greening velocity. Guo Qinghua’s Peking University team dropped a bombshell in 2025: 142.6 billion trees nationwide by 2020, averaging 100 per citizen. Their pioneering count relied on drone-LiDAR-algorithm fusion over 76,000 sites, offering the most accurate tally to date.
Embodying ‘green wealth’ for all, this includes conserved and cultivated trees alike. Post-2012, China greened 1.1 billion mu (73.3 million hectares), a quarter of global increments. FAO data for 2025 pegs China’s 2015-2025 annual forest growth at 1.69 million hectares, unmatched globally.
As wildfires rage and deserts encroach elsewhere, China’s success story – fueled by tech innovation, policy muscle, and collective effort – lights the way. It proves that with resolve, nations can rebuild ecosystems, mitigate floods, and secure cleaner air for generations ahead.