HOHHOT — China’s desertified land is shrinking, according to a news conference at the 13th Session of the Conference of the Parties (COP 13) to the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) on Sept 11.

Liu Dongsheng, deputy head of the State Forestry Administration, said China’s desertified land was expanding at a rate of 10,400 square kilometers per year at the end of the last century, but it is now shrinking by 2,424 square kilometers each year.

“China has set a goal to reforest 50 percent of the desertified land that can be treated by 2020, and the rest by 2050,” Liu said.

Pradeep Monga, deputy executive of the UNCCD, said China’s fight against desertification has made progress over the past two decades. The restoration of the Kubuqi Desert is a demonstration of the great efforts made by Chinese government, public and companies, he said.