Beijing, July 30: The APEC Forestry Ministerial Conference took place from July 26 to 28 in Shenzhen, China. During this event, the “2026 APEC Forestry Ministerial Conference Joint Statement” was adopted. The statement urged all member economies to promote biodiversity conservation, strengthen actions against the illegal trade of forest products, and integrate sustainable forest management into their economic development plans, policies, and strategies.
The joint statement emphasized that each member economy would enhance investment and financing opportunities for forest development and the trade of legal forest products, tailored to their specific circumstances and development priorities. Additionally, there was consensus on modernizing the processing of forest products, expanding their value chains, increasing cooperation in urban forestry and water resource management in the Asia-Pacific region, and promoting ecosystem restoration through technological innovation and sustainable forest management.
This conference was one of the significant events held under APEC’s “China Year” and marked the first ecology-focused special conference in China in 15 years. The theme was “Strengthening the Resilience of Asia-Pacific Forests and Sharing Public Ecological Welfare.”
During the conference, senior representatives, experts, and scholars from APEC’s 21 member economies and seven international organizations discussed key issues such as advancing global forest goals, promoting technological innovation, and developing green industries. A broad consensus was reached on several topics.
As a vital member of the Asia-Pacific region, China has actively implemented four global initiatives and achieved remarkable successes in the forestry sector. The country has contributed 25 percent to the world’s new green areas and has met its national forest conservation targets for 2030 ahead of schedule.
Furthermore, China has strengthened scientific conservation by developing a protected area system centered around national parks. Currently, approximately 18 percent of China’s terrestrial area has been designated as protected, and the first five national parks in the country have been officially established.
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