Forest resources and context of China

Forest resources in China

Types of forest

Under China’s Forest Law, forests are primarily classified by function as public welfare forests or commercial forests.

According to the latest National Forest Resources Inventory (2014–2018), approximately 94.67 million hectares are classified as commercial production forests. Domestic timber supply mainly comes from collective forests and forest plots contracted to rural households, while commercial harvesting is heavily restricted in most state-owned forests.

According to the FAO Global Forest Resources Assessment 2025, China has around 227 million hectares of forest, with a national forest coverage rate of 25.09% in 2025. This represents significant long-term growth from approximately 121.86 million hectares and 12.71% forest coverage at the time of the first National Forest Inventory (1973–1976).

China has significantly expanded its forests since the late 1970s, through successive large-scale afforestation and ecological restoration programmes. These efforts intensified from the late 1990s onwards, with policies aimed at protecting natural forests, restoring degraded land, converting cropland to forest and expanding planted forests.

Forest expansion has occurred across most provinces and regions, particularly in southern plantation zones, the Loess Plateau, the Beijing–Tianjin–Hebei region and south-western areas affected by rocky desertification. Planted forests have played a major role in this expansion, while harvesting in natural forests has become increasingly restricted. Major species and species groups planted in China include Cunninghamia lanceolata, Populus, Eucalyptus, Larix gmelinii, Pinus massoniana, Pinus tabuliformis, Cupressus funebris, Pinus elliottii, Robinia pseudoacacia and Quercus.

Although the overall national trend is one of forest expansion, localised and sporadic forest-cover reductions still occur, mainly in connection with construction and infrastructure development, licensed industrial and mining activities, agricultural land-use adjustments, fires and pest outbreaks. Overall, forest gains and losses remain localised and patchy, with no widespread or persistent pattern of deforestation at the national level.

Need to analyse deforestation risk at plot level? — WHISP

Open Foris Whisp (“What's in that plot?”) is a free and open-source solution developed by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) to support rapid, plot-level analysis of land use and deforestation risk. It combines geospatial datasets and satellite-based information to provide transparent insights for a specific location, helping users understand whether the area is forest, agricultural land, or potentially linked to deforestation or disturbance. 

WHISP uses GPS points or plot polygons to perform an analysis based on multiple public datasets on forests and land use.

The aim is to identify plots that may present a potential deforestation risk and those for which further checks may be necessary.

→ Use WHISP online

→ WHISP documentation

Global Forest Watch Map

• Step-by-step instructions : see here 
• Alert of deforestation : see here
• Map : see here

Interpretation of Risk Indicators

China-Specific and regional Risk Approach

The risk profile of China's timber supply chains is primarily influenced by four key factors.

Forest classification plays an important role in determining the legal conditions under which timber can be harvested. Chinese forests are divided into ecological public welfare forests and commercial forests, each subject to different management objectives and harvesting restrictions.

Harvesting authorisations are another essential consideration. Assessing the legality of timber harvesting requires verifying the existence and validity of the relevant Forest Harvest Permit, compliance with applicable harvesting quotas and the completeness of supporting approval documentation.

Local governance and enforcement practices can also influence compliance risks. The effectiveness of forestry supervision may vary depending on the resources and capacity of local forestry and grassland authorities, the frequency of forest patrols and the implementation of monitoring and record-keeping systems.

Imported timber represents an additional source of risk that must be considered. China is a major importer of timber and wood products, sourcing raw materials and semi-finished products from numerous countries. Consequently, risks associated with illegal logging, deforestation and forest conversion in countries of origin may be transmitted through China's timber supply chains. Assessments must therefore consider not only domestic harvesting conditions but also the origin, legality and traceability of imported timber.

Risk Interpretation by Forest Category

I. Ecological Public Welfare Forests

Ecological public welfare forests are subject to a strict regulatory framework under China's Forest Law and the Natural Forest Conservation and Restoration Programme. These forests are primarily managed for ecological protection, and commercial harvesting is generally prohibited or subject to significant restrictions.

Their management is supported by administrative documentation and monitoring systems, including forest tenure registration records, ecological management plans and forest patrol records. These documents, which may be maintained in paper or electronic formats, provide an important basis for verifying forest management practices and compliance with applicable regulations.

Despite these regulatory safeguards, some residual risks remain. These may include isolated cases of irregular harvesting approvals, unlawful encroachment on protected forest areas or excessive harvesting carried out under the guise of authorised forest tending operations. In certain areas, insufficient ecological compensation may also contribute to small-scale illegal harvesting activities.

II. Commercial Forests

China applies a forest classification-based management system under which commercial forests are designated primarily for timber production and other economic uses. Unlike ecological public welfare forests, commercial forests provide a legal framework for commercial timber harvesting, subject to applicable regulatory requirements.

In recent years, the Chinese authorities have progressively simplified certain administrative procedures for harvesting in plantation commercial forests. Nevertheless, harvesting activities generally remain subject to the relevant authorisation requirements, including the possession of a valid Forest Harvest Permit where applicable.

Compliance risks therefore persist, particularly where harvesting takes place without the required authorisation, exceeds permitted volumes or extends beyond the approved harvesting area. Verification of harvesting documentation and consistency between authorised and actual harvesting activities remains essential.

Supply Chain Traceability and Residual Risks

Official harvesting permits and other administrative approval documents are important elements of legality verification, but they are not sufficient on their own to establish the legal origin of timber.

A robust risk assessment should therefore be supported by consistent, cross-verifiable documentation covering the different stages of the supply chain, from harvesting and intermediate trading to processing and final sale. This includes checking the consistency of information relating to timber origin, species, harvested volumes, transport and commercial transactions.

For domestically sourced timber, residual risks may arise from forged or inaccurate harvesting permits, as well as discrepancies between declared harvesting locations, authorised volumes and actual harvesting activities.

For imported timber, additional risks may originate in the countries where the wood was initially harvested. These include illegal logging, deforestation and forest conversion, particularly where regulatory enforcement or traceability systems are insufficient. Such risks may persist even when timber is subsequently processed or traded through China.

Consequently, the assessment of timber originating from or traded through China should combine verification of domestic regulatory compliance with due diligence on imported raw materials and semi-finished products. Particular attention should be paid to the original country of harvest and the availability of reliable, verifiable supply chain information.

References

• FAO, Global Forest Resources Assessment 2025 – China Country Report.

• FAO, forest land structure and land-use classification standards; China's forest classification (public welfare/commercial; natural/plantation).

• Preferred by Nature, China Timber Legality Risk Assessment Report, 2021.

• NFGA, Annual Forestry Administrative Law Enforcement Statistical Reports, 2020–2025; Domestic Timber Legality Verification Guidelines.

• Forest Law of the People's Republic of China; Regulations on the Administration of Forest Harvest Permits.

• Chinese Academy of Forestry, Domestic Timber Supply Chain Compliance Traceability Study, 2025.