Beijing, September 7 (KCNA) -- Chinese President Hu Jintao referred to the issue of the forest development of the country, addressing the first APEC Meeting of Ministers Responsible for Forestry held in the Great Hall of the People Tuesday.

China, which is attaching great importance to the forest construction, regards the forest development as an important step for realizing scientific development, the first task for building ecological civilization and a strategic choice to cope with climate change, he said.

China aims to increase its total area of forest by 40 million hectares in the next decade, as compared with that in 2005, he noted, adding "China is ready to make new contributions to green growth and sustainable growth."