This aerial photo taken on June 12, 2023 shows the scenery of a grassland in Xilingol League of north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region. [Xinhua/Peng Yuan]

BEIJING, July 4 (Xinhua) — The ecological quality of vegetation in China last year scored 68.3 on the index, the third highest score since 2000, amid a nationwide greening trend, the China Meteorological Administration said on Tuesday.

The score is 6.2 percent higher than the average figure over the three decades ending 2020, Zhang Hengde, deputy head of the National Meteorological Center, told a press conference.

Acknowledging that ecological quality is under the joint influence of climate and weather, as well as human activities, Zhang said meteorological conditions were good for vegetation last year, marked by a better-than-usual balance of warmth and precipitation.

From 2000 to 2022, vegetation in 91.9 percent of areas in China saw improving ecological quality, according to the administration.

Ecological conservation projects and favorable meteorological conditions helped increase the productivity and coverage of vegetation across China, Zhang said.

(Source: Xinhua)