Cao Qingyao, spokesperson for the State Administration of Forestry, refuted statements made on May 6th by Greenpeace International, regarding China's import of timber from endangered tropical rainforests.

Greenpeace recently criticized China for importing large quantities of precious timber from endangered rainforests in Papua New Guinea, Indonesia, and Gabon, where there have been serious incidents of clear-cutting. Greenpeace also accused China of turning the timber into plywood before exporting it to other countries; thereby creating constant illegal clear-cutting and relevant trade to take place, and endangering African and Asian rainforests.

Cao claimed that Greenpeace's statement has no factual basis. For many years now, China has created opportunities for the import of foreign timber and related products. Meanwhile, China has been continuously developing its own forestry industry in order to integrate into the globalization process. It is moving away from utilizing only its own domestic resources and markets, and toward utilizing a combination of global resources. Forestry exports contribute to the global economy, to the development of globalization, as well as the international market. It also promotes a greater distribution of global resources.

Cao said that China has strict regulations on the import of timber and its related products. According to relevant legal documentation, the State Administration of Forestry, the Ministry of Commerce, and China Customs all have strict regulations regarding the import of timber. Together, they tackle illegal activity and make sure that the forestry trade carries on as smoothly as possible.

Cao also expressed that typical business practices within the forestry trade does not directly have an impact on a certain region or country's decision to clear-cut its forests. The problem of illegally clear-cutting forests and relevant trade that harms the natural environment occurs mainly in countries and regions with struggling economies or where development is unstable. When dealing with these issues, one should comply with the principles of development, rather than merely criticize them. A balance between economic development and environmental protection needs to be established and accepted by all parties involved. This compromise will lead to better utilization of forests, acceleration of the economic development of forested regions, and a halt on illegal clear-cutting.