The Chinese army is being obliged to participate in the forestation of barren hills, wasteland and desolate deserts, according to new regulations issued on an order of Hu Jintao, chairman of the Central Military Commission.

According to the forestation regulations of the People's Liberation Army of China, the basic forestation tasks for the army include planting trees around military camps and barren hills and taking part in obligatory tree-planting.

The seven-chapter regulations stipulate that forestation projects of the army should be designed by qualified institutions and those that will occupy 700 hectares should go through environment impact assessments.

(Xinhua News Agency July 29, 2005)