Guiyang, a southwestern city, has vowed to increase its forest coverage to 50 percent in 2020 from 42 percent, according to a plan released on Sunday.

The plan, approved by the National Development and Reform Commission, follows the idea of "beautiful China" raised at the National Congress of the Communist Party of China in November.

"Guiyang will pilot the plan to build ecological cities, not only in Guizhou province, but also across the country," Shen Yiqin, vice-governor of Guizhou, said on Sunday at a press conference.

Guiyang, the provincial capital, was joining to build a "beautiful China", Shen said.

The term "beautiful China" has been in the news since the congress concluded last month. Vice-Premier Li Keqiang also said on Dec 12 that China needs to find a new way for its development to avoid the path walked by developed economies.

The Guiyang plan contains 10 chapters, covering the ecological development of the city from 2012 to 2020 and sets goals for the city's environment protection.

The goals are divided into two phases — from 2012 to 2015 and from 2016 to 2020.

By 2015, Guiyang will improve its habitable environment by increasing forest coverage to 45 percent from 41.8 percent in 2011 and will reduce energy consumption per unit of GDP by 16 percent from 2011 levels, according to the plan.

In the second phase, a low-carbon city will be established and forest coverage will reach 50 percent by 2020, it said.

In order to achieve the goal, Guiyang authorities plan to plant 28,000 hectares of forest and replant grass on 135,000 hectares of desert.

Besides tree planting, about 122,000 people will be removed from bio-fragile places to more lush, livable areas, the plan said.

Liu Yuankun, director of the Guizhou development and reform commission, said preferential policies will be given to support Guiyang's biological development, but details are still under discussion.

While many local authorities are struggling to balance economic development and environmental protection, Guiyang is determined to follow a green path.

Efforts over the past five years, when the vision was first discussed, helped Guiyang make "remarkable ecological progress". The city's sulfur dioxide emissions decreased by nearly 42 percent in 2011 compared with 2006 levels and the forest coverage rate reached 42.3 percent in 2012.

Contact the writers at yangjun@chinadaily.com.cn and wangqian@chinadaily.com.cn