A lush, verdant mountain in Jilin. [Photo/chinadaily.com.cn]

Over the past two years, Northeast China's Jilin province has completed 2.88 million mu (192,000 hectares) of afforestation, according to officials who were speaking at a news conference on Oct 26.

The province is going ever greener, having during the same period completed the greening of the surrounding areas of 9,391 kilometers of highways, railways and rivers, as well as the beautification of 2,762 villages.

This year is the final year of the province's implementation of its second 10-year greening and beautification plan.

During the last two years, Jilin has promoted the Three-North Shelter Forest Program, involving the afforestation of 398,000 mu of land.

It has completed the soil desertification treatment of 279,000 mu of land and the restoration and improvement of another 24,000 mu of protected forests. The province has also carried out the afforestation of 291,000 mu of land under a central government subsidy project, as well as continued to advance the development of key environmental projects.

At the same time, the greening coverage rate of Jilin's built-up urban areas has reached 39 percent, the per capita park green space has increased to 12.54 square meters and the urban and rural living environment has further improved.

The preliminary plans are for Jilin to complete afforestation of another 10 million mu in the next five years and to consolidate and improve the area over 10 years.

And Jilin will strive to establish a comprehensive and balanced forest and grassland ecosystem by 2030.