China: Beautification Plans Shed Insight on Climate and Rural Development Efforts

On December 27, 2023, China issued Guidelines to Comprehensively Promote the Development of a “Beautiful China.” The guidelines propose several goals, tasks, and reforms for building a beautiful China between 2027 and 2035. Following the central-level, national guidelines, many provinces have formulated their own beautifications plans. This report provides an overview of the PRC’s central guidelines and provincial beautification plans that highlight or reference agriculture and forestry. In some respects, the plans encompass prior efforts or initiatives for sustainable or climate-related agricultural initiatives or development programs that are now repackaged through this broader effort.