Foreign diplomats who have witnessed the Three-North Shelterbelt Forest Program have praised China for providing good examples of environmental protection and methods of transforming harsh terrains into viable areas of cultivation.

"Poverty alleviation and social development are important issues in my country," said Fernando Lugris, Uruguay's ambassador to China.

"China is helping us to solve them, and we would love to work with the Chinese government on further developments in sustainable use."

Mashudu Silimela, the agriculture, forestry and fisheries counselor at the South African embassy in Beijing, said his country faces a serious water shortage, and soil erosion is also a major issue.

"Planting apple and walnut trees has provided an effective way for my country to solve environmental issues and preserve our water and soil," he said.

Rainer Klepper, counselor for food and agriculture at the German embassy in Beijing, has been impressed by the developments he has witnessed in China.

He added that Germany needs to consider implementing afforestation programs, but said the government has not explained the relationship between the programs and people's living standards clearly enough.

He said he believes that China also needs to raise awareness of the issues, because many people regard forests and woodlands as sources of materials, such as wood, and do not understand the important role they can play in maintaining living standards.

Sustainable development is as important in Germany as it is in China, and it is important to protect limited resources across the world, he said.