(Yicai Global) Jan. 31 -- China, which is working to become greener, will speed up the construction of forest city clusters, ensuring the establishment of six new ones by 2020, the State Forestry Administration told Yicai Global.

The country plans to establish forest city areas in the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei Region, Pearl River Delta Region, Yangtze River Delta Region, Changsha-Zhuzhou-Xiangtan Region, Central Plain and Guanzhong-Tianshui Economic Zone.

Provinces in these places should implement policies to set up national and provincial forest cities and extend construction to rural areas, said SFA Deputy Director Peng Youdong.

Provincial forestry authorities should integrate the construction of urban forest agglomerations into local socio-economic development strategies, obtain loans from policy-based financial institutions and explore ways to attract social capital, Peng said.

The SFA dubbed the Pearl River Delta Region the first National Urban Forest Agglomeration Construction Demonstration Zone in August 2016. Seven of the nine cities in that zone have set up national forest cities.

Some 15 of the 20 urban clusters to be constructed under China's 13th Five-Year Plan are forest city areas. More than 20 Chinese provinces have been building urban forest agglomerations.