China aims to reclaim 10 million mu (almost 670, 000 square kilometers) of farmland and return it to forest and grass in 2015, according to the country's top economic planning body on Thursday.
The target was unveiled by the National Development and Reform Commission, ministries of finance, agriculture, land and resources, and the State Forestry Administration.
In 18 provincial regions, 94 percent of reclaimed farmland will be turned into forest and six percent into grassland to protect the ecosystem, according to the statement.
The target is double the previous year's 5 million mu.