China will spend 14.56 billion yuan (2.33 billion U.S. dollars) in the next decade for the forest protection of a natural reserve in northeast Jilin Province, local authorities said.

The fund was earmarked to the Changbai Mount Natural Reserve, which borders the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, based on a national forest conservation program.

Wang Shouchen, deputy governor of the province, said by the end of last year logging in the reserve had been reduced by 18.84 million cubic meters, and the forest acreage had increased 3.8 percent to 3.56 million hectares.

Wang said the second phase of protection, starting this year, would remain focused on decreasing timber production as well as artificial afforestation.

The China Natural Forest Resources Conservation Program was launched in 1998, and 17 regions, including the Changbai Mount Natural Reserve, were included to protect the eco-system.

Following the first phase over the past 13 years, the central government began the second phase this year and it will run until 2020, anticipating a forest increase of 5.2 million hectares with the planned cost of 244 billion yuan, according a statement released last December by the State Council.

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