On January 20, 2021, Economic Information Daily, a publication under China’s state-run Xinhua News Agency, reported on the shelterbelt destruction at Yangguan Forest Farm. Located in Dunhuang, Gansu Province, the Yangguan Forest Farm is part of the Great Green Wall. Given the public’s growing attention in recent years to afforestation and desertification prevention efforts, the report sparked intense public discussion. Prior to this, as early as 2001, China’s official media had already reported on the destruction of the forest farm. The Central Environmental Protection Inspection Team had received complaints regarding the situation, and environmental protection organizations had also filed lawsuits. However, these efforts failed to resolve the issue. Following the publication of the report, the Gansu Provincial People's Government established an investigation team on January 20 and released its findings on January 26, stating that only isolated instances of illegal logging had occurred. However, the very next day, Economic Information Daily published a follow-up article revealing three relevant documents, questioning the credibility of the forest farm and the provincial authorities. On January 28, the Central Ecological and Environmental Protection Inspection Office dispatched a team to Dunhuang to conduct an on-site investigation. Subsequently, on March 19, a joint investigation team composed of central government ministries released its final report. The report confirmed management issues at the forest farm while also overturning the data presented in the documents published earlier by Economic Information Daily.
Background
Grape industry in Dunhuang See also: Red Globe grape The history of grape production and transportation in Dunhuang dates back to the Western Han dynasty, when Zhang Qianopened up the Western Regions. Grapes were gradually introduced into the zhongyuan through Dunhuang. By the Northern Wei Dynasty, records show that large-scale grape cultivation had already taken place in the region. In 1998, Dunhuang Grape Wine Co., Ltd. was established. From September 6 to 8, 2008, the local government of Dunhuang held the "First China·Dunhuang Grape Culture Festival" to promote the development of the grape industry through the event. At the same time, Dunhuang proposed to establish a grape production base in Northwest China and registered the "Yangguan" and "Dunhuang" grape brands. Its seedless white grapes and Red Globe grapes were recognized as "Famous Chinese Fruits" by the Grape Branch of the Chinese Society of Agriculture. In 2009, the total area under grape cultivation in Dunhuang reached 0.438 million hectares, of which 0.425 million hectares were primarily planted with seedless white and Red Globe varieties. The total grape output was 67.03 million kilograms, generating an output value of 151.86 million yuan. By 2010, the total grape cultivation area in the city had increased to 0.54 million hectares, with a total production of 70.89 million kilograms. In 2020, the Dunhuang Municipal People’s Government stepped up efforts to promote the local grape industry. The official Weibo account "@Dunhuang Release" published a total of 20 posts related to Dunhuang grapes that year.
Previous reports In 2001, People’s Daily Online reprinted an article titled "Thousands of Acres of Shelter Forest in Dunhuang Felled by Axes", reporting that over 3,000 shelter trees were cut down without felling permits, and the cleared land was subsequently converted into vineyards. In 2006, China Economic Times published an article titled "Dunhuang, Do Not Repeat the Tragedy of Loulan", warning against ecological mismanagement. In 2011, Gansu Forestry magazine featured an article titled "Desert Becomes Oasis: A Record of Yangguan Forest Farm in Dunhuang Preventing Eastward Desertification", highlighting afforestation efforts in the region.n March 2017, in response to media coverage, the Jiuquan Municipal Forestry Bureau issued a report titled "Investigation on Media-Reported Deforestation and Land Reclamation within the Yangguan Forest Farm in Dunhuang", addressing concerns over deforestation and land use changes.
Previous complaints Between 2016 and 2017, the Seventh Central Environmental Protection Inspection Team received ten complaints concerning the Yangguan Forest Farm. In 2019, the China Biodiversity Conservation and Green Development Foundation (CBCGDF) filed a lawsuit against the Dunhuang Yangguan Forest Farm and Dunhuang Wine Company at the Gansu Mining District. The court proposed mediation between the parties; however, CBCGDF believed that mediation would not lead to effective ecological restoration.
Timeline
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