Item from March 22, 1998, in China Daily: A scientist at a forestry seeding nursery in Gansu province shows off precious pine species that are in danger of extinction.

The government's decision to protect the country's forest resources from logging has excited many foreign timber enterprises with the prospect of a surge in China's timber imports.

China's forests are recovering after decades of destruction caused by illegal logging and conversion to farmland.

The world's largest timber importer and second-largest consumer has also become the country with the fastest growth in forestry restoration.

By the end of 2015, the forest area in China had expanded to 208 million hectares with the forest coverage reaching nearly 22 percent, according to the State Forestry Administration.

As of this year, China has completely stopped commercial logging in natural forests nationwide.

Such a ban has been in effect in Northeast China's Heilongjiang province since April 2014.

To meet the surging demand for timber, China is importing more timber from Russia, Canada, New Zealand and the United States.

Last year, China's demand for foreign timber hit 49 million cubic meters, a 9 percent increase from the previous year, according to the General Administration of Customs.

By 2020, the demand for timber is expected to jump to 700 million cu m, analysts said.