国家森林城市(guójiā sēnlín chéngshì): National forest city

Beijing announced that all the districts in Beijing are expected to meet the standards for a national forest city by 2025.

A national forest city refers to a city whose urban ecological system is mainly forest that meets the forest standards set out by State Forestry and Grassland Administration.

The administration released a document in August 2016 setting out standards to ensure the long-term sustainability of its forests. The standards are realistic criteria for sustainable forest management, and the authorities will review the national forest city every three years in order to make sure they meet the standards.

By the end of 2017, the forest coverage rate of Beijing was up to 43 percent, while the urban forest coverage rate was up to 48.2 percent. The per capita area of park and green land was 16.2 square meters. It is expected Pinggu district will be the first district in Beijing to meet the standards for national forest city.

On Oct 10, 2017, the then National Forestry Administration named 19 cities nationwide as a national forest city and China aims to create six forest city clusters by 2020. Pearl River Delta cities are making efforts to be the first.