Thousands of oriental storks are now at the Momoge National Nature Reserve in Zhenlai town, Northeast China's Jilin province. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn] There are now 11,029 nature reserves in China, covering more than 18 percent of the country's land area, the head of the National Forestry and Grassland Administration told an international forum in Hangzhou, Zhejiang province, on Monday. Last year, the reserves covered 14.88 percent of China's land area, according to data released by the administration at a news conference in April. Administration head Zhang Jianlong told the opening ceremony of the second World Forum on Ecosystem Governance that the improvement was the result of a ban on commercial logging, returning cultivated land to forest or pasture, restoration of grasslands and wetlands and control of desertification. Zhang vowed to curb land degradation and take other measures to promote better governance of the global ecosystem. Concerted efforts should be made to tackle climate change challenges, he said. And last, but not least, a new ecology governance system should be established, taking rules of different countries and regions into consideration. The forum, focusing on ecological assets and ecosystem services, is being hosted by the administration, the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Hangzhou's city government. More than 290 people from government agencies and research institutes in 33 countries and regions are taking part in the forum, which will end on Wednesday. cute rubber band braceletspersonalized rubber braceletscystic fibrosis rubber braceletscartier rubber braceletcustom bracelets
File Photo: Ma Xiaoguang, spokesperson for the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council. [Photo/Xinhua] BEIJING -- A Chinese mainland spokesperson on Sunday said the mainland will continue to enhance solidarity with Taiwan compatriots and follow a path of peaceful development of cross-Straits relations. Ma Xiaoguang, spokesperson for the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council, made the remarks when asked to comment on the local elections in Taiwan over the weekend. We have noticed the results of the elections, said Ma, adding that the results reflected the strong will of the public in Taiwan in sharing the benefits of the peaceful development across the Taiwan Strait, and desires to improve the island's economy and people's wellbeing. We will continue to uphold the 1992 Consensus, and to resolutely oppose separatist elements advocating 'Taiwan independence' and their activities, said Ma. With a correct understanding on the nature of the cross-Straits relations and the nature of exchanges between cities across the Strait, more counties and cities in Taiwan are welcomed to participated in such exchanges and cooperation, said Ma. The failure of the so-called referendum on a name-changing motion for Taiwan to participate in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics showed that putting Taiwanese athletes' interests at stake is against people's will, Ma said. Ma said the attempts of Taiwan independence are doomed to fail. rubber band braceletsrubber wristbandscustom wristbandsevent wristbandscustom bracelets<%2fcenter>
