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The economic and social development of China's mountain areas is to be accelerated with careful consideration for ecological conservation, said a Chinese lawmaker and a forestry official.

The role of mountain areas, which made up almost 70 percent of China's land area, was very important because they were home to over half of the 1.3 billion population, said Jiang Chunyun, Vice-Chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress.

Most of the nation's forestry, water, hydropower and mineral resources, and rich culture and biodiversity were based in mountain areas, he told a gathering here recently to commemorate the International Year of Mountains.

However, mountain regions remained less developed than coastal areas in the east, he said, citing the 30 million poverty-stricken Chinese who live mainly in mountain areas, which were often accessible with difficulty to traffic, electricity and telecommunication.

Even the development could cause problems if it destroyed fragile ecosystems in mountains, he said, pointing to irrational tree logging and cultivation.

China had carried out a group of pilot projects to achieve comprehensive development in mountain regions since 1996, said Zhou Shengxian, director of the State Forestry Administration.

The projects focusing on harmonious development through treatment of soil erosion, tree planting, and infrastructure construction had yielded successes in some poor areas, he said.

In addition, six national forestry projects for ecological benefits, which had been in full swing since this year, would help conserve the environment and bring more development opportunities, he said.

The projects, either for the protection of natural forests or combating soil erosion through conversion of farmlands on mountain slopes into forests, covered all mountainous regions in China, he said.

The International Year of Mountains is a global campaign initiated by the United Nations to promote the public's understanding of the significance of mountains, the fragility of mountain resources, and the significance of sustainable development in mountains.