At the press conference sponsored by the State Council Information Office on August 15, 2006, Cao Qingyao, Spokesman for the State Forestry Administration, briefed the press on the import and export of timber and forest Products, management of the import and export of wildlife, implementation of CITES, and forest right reform in collective-owned forests in China. He also answered questions from the press.

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 Speech by Cao Qingyao, Spokesperson of the State Forestry Administration 

 Import & Export of Timber and Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora, Forestry Reform, and Forestry's Roles in Promoting the Development of Socialist New Countryside (China.org.cn)

Key points:

Forestry authority hits back at logging allegations

China has redoubled efforts to crack down on illegal logging and timber trading, the State Forestry Administration (SFA) said Tuesday.

Spokesman Cao Qingyao denied accusations of plundering the world's rainforests to meet booming demand for wood.

"The statement concerning the question that China's large demand for timber assists illegal logging and smuggling from Asia is groundless," Cao said at a news conference.

"China consistently upholds and puts into practice collective international responsibility, opposes and cracks down on illegal logging and illegal wood imports," Cao said. "We have very strict import controls."

He also urged relevant countries to take preventative measures to cope with illegal activities.(China Daily)

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Illegal wildlife trade must be halted: SFA

Speakers at an international conference on wildlife trade crimes held in Beijing in July claimed that illegal trade in wild animals and plants has topped 10 billion U.S. dollars, and is the world third largest source of illegal trade after drugs and guns.

Cao Qingyao, a spokesman for the State Forestry Administration, said in Beijing Tuesday that China is stepping up protection of endangered wildlife resources.

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China's timber supply meets demand in 2005

China's timber supply met its demand in 2005, with the supply and demand standing at 325.9 and 325.7 million cubic meters respectively, the State Forestry Administration (SFA) said in Beijing Tuesday.  

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China denies plan to rent Russian forests

A State Forestry Administration (SFA) spokesman on Tuesday denied a media report that China would rent one million hectares of Russian forests to develop timber resources.

Cao Qingyao, the spokesman, said at a press conference held by the Information Office of the State Council that the SFA "had not received any official invitation from the Russian side," commenting on the report carried by Russia's Independence newspaper.

Timber was an important part of world trade, and China and Russia could cooperate in a range of areas when it came to processing forest resources, he said.

In terms of technology, labor and resources, the two nations had complementary advantages, Cao added.

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