China planted 4.8 million hectares of trees in six major forestry projects in 2004, accounting for 86 percent of its afforested area of the year, according to a bulletin publicized by the State Forestry Bureau on Saturday. 

The Chinese government invested 35.1 billion yuan (about US$4.3 billion) in the forestation projects in 2004, the bulletin said.

A total of 25.32 million hectares of trees have been added thanks to the nationwide projects launched in 1998, which have cost 126.4 billion yuan (about US$15.6 billion), it said.

The projects will cost more than 700 billion yuan (about US$86.3 billion) and cover over 97 percent of counties across the country.

(Xinhua News Agency July 24, 2005)