IN BRIEF (Page 4)

Beijing

Plants reclaim deserts at increasing pace

China's rocky desert areas were reduced through planting, as well as the protection of vegetation, at an increasing pace over the past few years, thanks to government emphasis on environmental protection. From 2011 to 2016, desert areas were reduced by an average of 3.45 percent per year, faster than the 1.27 percent average annual reduction in the previous five-year period, Liu Dongsheng, deputy head of the National Forestry and Grassland Administration, said at a news conference on Thursday. The improvement was attributed to efforts to protect vegetation and plant more trees and grass, Liu said.