China’s role in global forest governance and the revision of its Forest Law

Global Witness calls on China to use the current revision of its Forest Law to prohibit the import of illegal timber. The organization argues that as a major importer of wood products, China's domestic policies significantly impact global deforestation and climate stability. The statement highlights that China is the largest economy without such a prohibition and suggests that implementing one would align with its international commitments under the UN Convention on Biological Diversity and its role in global governance.

• China is the largest global economy that currently does not prohibit the import of illegal timber, despite the fact that half of its timber supplies are sourced from overseas.
• Illegal logging and deforestation are widespread in Russia and in the countries that provide 80% of China's tropical wood imports.
• The consultation draft for the Forest Law revisions, published on 5 July, focuses on ecological construction over timber production but fails to address China's role in global forest governance or the link between forests and climate change.
• Integrating sustainable use of overseas forests into the Forest Law would help China meet the fourth of the CBD’s Aichi Biodiversity Targets and contribute to the Post-2020 Global Biodiversity Framework.

APA

Global Witness (n.d.). China’s role in global forest governance and the revision of its Forest Law. https://globalwitness.org/en/campaigns/forests/chinas-role-in-global-forest-governance-and-the-revision-of-its-forest-law/

Chicago

Global Witness. China’s role in global forest governance and the revision of its Forest Law. n.d. https://globalwitness.org/en/campaigns/forests/chinas-role-in-global-forest-governance-and-the-revision-of-its-forest-law/.

Wikipedia

{{cite press release |author=Global Witness |title=China’s role in global forest governance and the revision of its Forest Law |url=https://globalwitness.org/en/campaigns/forests/chinas-role-in-global-forest-governance-and-the-revision-of-its-forest-law/ |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@misc{globalwitnessndchinas, author = {{Global Witness}}, title = {{China’s role in global forest governance and the revision of its Forest Law}}, publisher = {Global Witness}, url = {https://globalwitness.org/en/campaigns/forests/chinas-role-in-global-forest-governance-and-the-revision-of-its-forest-law/}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }