The State Council, China's cabinet, approved guidelines that protect, restore and ensure the sustainable use of forests for the 2010-20 period on June 9.

Participants at the State Council meeting, chaired by Premier Wen Jiabao, reviewed and approved the guidelines for forest protection and utilization during the 10-year period.

The guidelines say China will increase its forest coverage to 223 million hectares by the end of 2020, or 23 percent of the national area.

The guidelines set a goal of increasing the nation's tree-coverage to 312 million hectares, or more than 32.5 percent of the national area, by the end of 2020.