RECONSTRUCTION OF FOREST INDUSTRY IN CHINA

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP80-00809A000700200285-2
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: C
• Document Page Count: 6
• Document Creation Date: December 22, 2016
• Document Release Date: August 31, 2011
• Sequence Number: 285
• Publication Date: January 21, 1955
• Content Type: REPORT

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CLASSIFICATION C-O-N-F-I-D-E-N-T-I-p_~
CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY RE
INFORMATION FROM
OREIGN DOCUMENTS OR RADIO BROADCAS'-fS CD
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CLASSIFICATION C-O-N-F-I-D_E-N-T-I_A_L
50X1-HUM
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PUBLISHED Ju11953
LANGUAGE Chinese
DATE
WHERE
PUBLISHED Monograph
HOW
SUBJECT Economic - Forestry
~I.aL
COUNTRY china
DATE OF
INFORMATION 1953
DATE DfST. al Jan 1955
NO. OF PAGES 6.
SUPPLEMENT TO
REPORT NO.
THIS IS UNEVALUATED INFORMATION
Hsin Chun -kuo-ti Lin- eh Chien-she
Fore~t~r"dustry , published b (Reconstrict~on of Neu China's
RECONSTRUCTION OF FOREST INDUSTRY IN CHI1~1
[S'wmarY: A forestry rehabilitation and developme~6
incluaes u;forestatlon, reforestation, and conservat
up in China. Forestr Program that,.
Y operations are bein ion I~ae been set
ing In increased efficiency and economy, g ~chanizee3 rapidly, result_
The national timber supply for the next 0
from the Northeast, but after that the souther,iyareas~of~tiiemcount~yly
will, it is estimated, be able to supply an anmuil cut of 1 8
cubic meters, which with the timber available from other areas should
make China self-Sufficient in timber,] 9 million
Forestr__ y=~
g 1
forestry p~oeramin o950 withotwo'mau,public of China set up-.4 national
ob,Jectlves .
First, to preserve carefully the present forestry reso ,w
rapid afforestation on n grand scale, to provide
and to u`ces and promote
Promote agriculturhl eater conservation, protection _rom calamities,
Second, to promote reasonable logging, reasonable utilicet3on of forestry
resources, and assurance of ample timber supplies for ratio
and industrial uses.
na_.I construction
Among the numerrn~r destructive f?rces that harm forests
ent the most destructive During the last 3 years fire ha
97.69 percent of the , fire is at prea-
percent of the total dal forest damage, In 1 O' s accounted for
durinu the 1RSt ge to forests. Of the9total areare t~atasge was 99.08
3 years, 91.5k percent was the Northeast andde~ra8ed by fire
t=he Inner Mongolia
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Autonomous Region, and in 1950, 98.75 percent. In these s
loss occurs in the spring. Since practically all forest fires are
persons, thro yeas the chief fire
masses in fire~out the area prodigious efforts toward the caused by
prevention and forest-patrol measures are education of the
In 1952, air Progress.
covering Opp patrols made 122 flights amounting to 440 fl in
and the Mu_tan~ square kilometers of the Greater and Leaser Khing hours and
Chiang forest area. As a result of these Ean Ranges
practically no fire loss in the Inner Mongolia
of 1952. In the measures, there seas
involved seas onl Northeast, the timber loss i,,asAutonomous Region in the spring
a whole the Y 4.46 percent of that ?~Y one percent sad the area
, spring fire loss lass off,. involved in 1950. For the country as
.~ 5.09 percent of the 1
During 1950, there sass 950 loss.
inside the Great Wail indiscriminate timber cuttin
general ~ by the military, by lumberin E all ?ver the area
tral People'sgGover~ the name of relief. A E interests, and by the
nment of all unauthorized ~imberlcuttingcbion by the Cen-
Eans, both military and civilian, did much to reduce indiscr
Y government or-
During 1951, increased re lminate cutting,
in keen competition for t quirements of timber for
ture. amber supplies and a dislocationdoftthel uses resulted
on austerity~ntthe5l, the Government Administration Council price atruc-
indiscriminate euttln eaof timber. The result saes the virtuslasued a directive
seas made in national E nd highly competitive biddin cessation of
unified timber cuttin E for timber. A beginnin
Afforestation Activit E and distribution control. E
In the matter of afforestation, antisand-drift forest
in IJorth China and the Northeast, antltyphoon forest belts alon
of East China Protection belts
Y~Etze River have beuen~s~onon of commercial timber 8 the coasts
Ely promoted. grossing south of the
The area afforested ~ 1950 sass over L9,000 hectares
440,000 hectares. The goal for 1952 is 832,0,00 hectares.
sealed off for forest Hurt ' aIId ~ 1951 over
hectares in 1 ure amounted to 24 +~ountain areas
951. The 1952 goal is 2 4'4 7,000 lectares in 1950 and
o ,000 hectares. 903,000
During the last 3 years, the afforested area amounts
tares and mountain areas sealed off to 3,610,Op0 hectares,
dude 1952 estimates, tO 1,350,000 hec-
mountains in the countr In COQ~rison with the 300 mi__i~~ Both figures in_
the source of our Y~ these figures are ver hectares of barren
ence has strength, namely, the aroused 8811, but sae have discovered
revealed that afforestation coo nd organized
tlves, are the secret of rapid peratives masses. ExPeri-
taina for forest Progress. In the matter agricultural coopera_
for nurture, experience has to of sealing off moun_
promotion of the program results not fret that sR?ntaneous
understanding by the masses of the im ?J? orders from above organization
the sa?tersheds. portancc to a , but from
Ericulture of forests oa
Increased Efficienc
Last Year, the forestry industry, Which Includes to
milling, plyyo~ manufacture, and the wood-products chemical industr
promoted in the timbered areas EEing, transport,
still far behind that Within the Great Wa11, but the y' vas
Region. of the Northeast and the Znner Mongolia Autonotm~ouss
.. r.
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with an 0 '-""`? ~ aorestry Industry Control Bureau was organized
perations Offir_e in charge of logging and water transport, a Forestry
Railway Office in charge of rail transport, and a Materials Office in charge
of materials supply,
In comparison with the beat year of the Manchukuo regime (1943), in 1952
timber production was increased by 33 percent, required manpower ryas onl
42.5 percent (including both temporary and permanent), and required animal
power was only 5C percent. Y
Self-controlled labor unions have displaced the old labor contractor
system, and a multitude of comforts and social and educationa~ arorrerits are
being supplied in the logging areas.
~r~g the Manchukuo regime, the timber resources on 2 million hectares
were spoiled and 100 million cubic meters of timber lost by wasteful logging
practices. ?lie efficiency of tirnher utilisation has been increased under the
people's government from 55 percent in 1949 to 70 percent, or an increased
utiliation of 15 cubic meters fcr each 100 cubic meters of timber worked.
~ the Northeast, mechanization of lumbering Ss proceedin
rarilwacutting is still largely done by trend, handlin
g rapidly.
Y is done largely by tractor. Power hoists are from woods to stream or
and:for pulling logs out of streams after raftin used for loadi
down inclined rail lines out of the hillo 8? Laded to ~ trains
without need for locomotive re drifted
Logging and transport labor gangs hsve been ?? power.
standardized with a 50 percent s~vs~?matized and operations
on streams have been or anize irr*rease in efficiency, Rafti
defined division of labor amongithe cdrevslofseaga on a ~ ?Perations
the timber keeps moving with a m1r_1m,rm del railwayj, with a vell-
h division to ensure that
to 1.4 percent, as compared with lU Y or damage' Loss has been
percent during the Manchukuo reg~educed
Forest_ gur~evg
of timberlendh(includingethe~estimateshfor leer made of 4.5 million hectares
land easy to afforest. From 1950 [hreu, 95`) and 2'420'00? hectares of
ated from regular university srh ~ July 1952, 299 students xere
With t}re addition of Dols of forestry and yUl from s gradu-
with acme degree of Sorestrystrsininni short-course forestr Peclal courses.
of training forestr g ~Y total 10,000_~ersonetudents, those
sents a real challengeadres fast enough to keep up t}re national Tire problem
Program pre-
A basic requirement for the development of a comprehensive forest
is.surveying of forestry areas in existence and of areas available'
for afforestation. ~' Plan
and suitable
During the past 3 years, the following survey. work 2ias been lone.
In 1950, 952,642 hectares of timherland was surveyed {plus a cursory
estation amounted4toliectAres). Areas surveyed and found suitable for affor-
hectares). 3o9,2t,1 }rectares {plus a cursory survey of 6
,928,767
In 1951, 1,279,704 Hectares of timberland was surveyed (plus a cursory
survey of 5,347,606 hectares), band surveyed and found suitable for affor_
estation Amounted to 4og,353 hectares (plus a cursory survey of 7,660,600
hectares).
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surveyed.
In 1952, 1,923;794 hectares of land suitable for afforestatio n xas
The total forested area surveyed during the
2,422,428 hectares, 3 Years was 4,156,138 hec-
tares, and area of land surveyed and found suitable for afforestation vas
and in~lin2,1951, a forestry management survey vas made of
95 1,060,363 hectares. Management serve in 336,400 hectares
dividing up a forest area int? areas of cne square kilometerSwithta view to
future exploitation of the resourc method of
s'u'`~ey is made of the timber es_. Along the divining lines a careful
the soil, to set u s reor oes, growrth Possibilities, acid nature'of
labor, instrumentsP Prohram f Perations,
the Northeast f?restsra;nkGl 9y Crese methods ?theoti~ necessAryato stiir~vey
wary school graduate, wlti: 2 ~?=,d i.ied from 20 years to 5 Years. gi
with the siaplest of special survey trainin 6her Pri-
inet: ;~.,.n ; : g can do the fob
There has br_An gre+t ;-::..:.....-
nurseries.. With 1y50 ~~ _ "' Mount o.
in 1952 it was 521 t, ? =`. -7.;asres ~ land devoted to seedling
-_ ~ r index in 1951 vas 237.4 and
vas 19,053 }:ectsres A ~rrn:.. - ~' "sI i?~voted to seedling nurseries b
the part played by the cr,;~A, ~ f,Sn,.tewo;?thy feature of this increase1983
are cared fcr by the rAasce,; ... .an?-ur1n, three
fourtkrs of the nurseries
In the astter cf p"ogre~sive uffore,tatioa kn 1
three administrative areas wail illustrate the 950-1952, fi
progress. Bux?es for
Administra-
tive Area
Area Afforested iha)
-- 1=' 1 1952
East Chins
G,05o -~
Central-South 8,290 190,076
21,22
Southwest '-G9'01t2 398,805
2,'iU
53, 6211
In 1953, there were 2; 95,667
in the }lortheast. 0 afforestation stations and
3U9 seedling nurseries
Timber Production and B -Products
In 1952, the timber cut }n t1;e Northeast was 64 percent of the total
national cut: Whe^ timber 1: shippeck raw, a railway car can carr~? only 25
cubic meters of it, whereas if t..~ timber cut up the s
cubic meters. Hence x?evival of t}ie timbe
has been ame car can carry 40
given high priority by the r mi~ling industry in the
~?Ple's government. Northeast
and 1952,
With 33,9 ThCin949rdallyl?utputl~r sawin9S0 index was 253; 1951, 231;
1950, 77 cubic meters; in 1951, 91 cubic meters unit ~s 30 cubic meters; in
lumber obtained from the rav timber was as follows (in
1950, 80.8; 1 The Percentage of commercial
lumber. Since5l~ 9'-?3; and 1952' 93.7. These fi Percent): in 1949, 70;
xood, formerly lac0e great progress has been made~ethe utitization of slab
g ly wasted.
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The chemical products of the forestry industry are highly important. In
China, pitch is produced in Kiaangtung, Kwangsi, Chekiang, Fukien, Anhwei,
Kiangsi, and SyeB~wan provinces. The most productive provinces yield up to
10,000 tone a
in preliberation days, the methods of production of turpentine and rosin
were very backward. Tire pitch-producing life of a pine tree was only 3-5 ,
years, representing a great caste of ping timber. The product was inferior.
The preliberstion e_~tirual import of good-grade turpentine at Shanghai alone was
5,000 tons.
After the liberation, dome=tic turpentine production increased. The
estimated production fcr 1953 is 320 percent of the 1950 production and Trill
be more than ample for national needs. ins quality, however, still is below
Crade N (third grade). Hith the aasistarce of Soviet advisers, the quality is
being grey*.ly improved in s row factory. Soviet advisers have taught the use
of concrete vats instea3 of metal ones, resulting in appreciable savings.
For the production. of tarsrin China hns, in addition to galls (Wu-psi-tzu)
n dozen or more types of trees t.'rst ;fold an appreciable amount of tannin,
Nevertheleee, before the 11bPration China Smnorted most of its supply from
capitalist ^ountries. Sinc~? the l3beratlon, a neu program of production has
been started vhirh will soon lead to self-sufficiency,
China hns a large p:teztial In raw materials for the production of
chemicals from Sorest products. pi.opor Pxploitation will promote the welfare
of the nation's industt;: ami of the rgsaes.
Customs figures for 1951 rcvcaled tint imports o: forestry chemical
products were five tires the exports The chief import items in order of
Importance were raw rubber, tarnln. and drv dlstillat.r_s. The need for these
things will certainly in,rnnse IMvelopmrnt of domestic production is
therefore r ostler of h:g.,_,? yr:prit:
Future Prospects
Chinn has 300 million hectares cf lund sulteble for afforestation, but
accordSng to Kuoalntaug statisl:r,---, only 5 per;:ent of the national area is
afforested. Surveys nov revn9l thKt, oven of t,1;ls, n grent deal hns been
lost by fire and wnste.ul exp.oanttun.
China is vallnntly striving tc correct this sit.uatlon and on the basis
of chat hus been accomplished ir, the first 3 yoars, n 30.year pro,Jection of
the program should result ir. afferestnt/on of 1;8 million hectares. Of this,
protective forest belts and special cvpn; of eccnomte forests cannot be used
to-meet the needs of industr;:, mining, comm,inica*.ions, and construction.. Our
chief reliance for the .^.ext i0 year:. will be lire natural reserves of the North-
east. By the end of that penc;i these reserves will be largely depleted. Be_
cause a" the F10w growth c:' red and dectdu6us pines, which are the chief tim-
ber trees of the Northeast, 7J-100 years will be needed to reforest the area.
Bence, after 30 years It will be necessary to shift to Central-South China,
tho Southwest, and East Chinn for the main timber supply.
Can these three areas prel,are to meet this demand? Because of the rapid
?rnwth rate of timber in these areas, a good afforestation program should
produce 317 cubic meters per hectare in 30 years. Taking off 20 percent for
poor survival. and 15 percent for ether adverse factors, liners should be a
reliable yield of 165 cubic meters per hectare available in 30 years.
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~
We should plan on an annual increase of affo
hectares. If this i
rested area of 2
s done, after 31 years a ^_uttin
hectares a year should be feasible million
and East in the Central-SouthoChi~of 1,200,000
165 cubicCh~B administrative areas. On the basis of an avers southwest,
meters per hectare, an annual cut of 198 million cubic yield of
Rated
shouldre4uirementeatnthatet areas' This should be 7p meters
ime (equivalent of the Percent of the esti-
andtaelfAsufficienc the production of the other present Soviet re
Y should be Brest timber- quire-
. possible. Producing areas
After 30 years all sawmills will be in the production areas, pl
furniture, door and window frames, and flooring x111 all be
near the forests. Wood will be used for Ywood,
Northeast, modern alcohol factories x Blucose and ~ufactured
for cotton ~ Particularly in the
silk, and xool ill be built. Wood x311 be substituted.
sal-lu-ko ~ the manufacture of rayon, synthetic wools,
insulators. Wood wp}fie' electric-line poles, photo ra
steel for weavin ill also be used to maY.e B Phic film, .and plyxood.
6 shuttles, gear xheels, airnlaneials ae hard as iron and
will also be used as a substitute for iron P rivetsn and starch. Wood
the great locks on the Yangtze and yellox rlversoncrete .or the ?
piping in
This Ss the future of the tlmber industry in China and the
fmrstry workers.
goal of Chinas
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