China's extensive planted forests play a crucial role in carbon storage, contributing significantly to climate change mitigation. From 1990 to 2020, China's planted forest area doubled, increasing from 464.715 km² to 903.099 km², with an average annual increase of 14.63 km². This expansion led to a significant increase in carbon storage, rising from 675.6 ± 12.5 Tg C in 1990 to 1,873.1 ± 16.2 Tg C in 2020, at an average rate of approximately 40 Tg C per year. The expansion of planted forests, primarily through the conversion of croplands, shrublands, and grasslands, contributed about 53% of the total increase in carbon storage. The study highlights the importance of policy-driven expansion and the need for accurate monitoring and verification of carbon storage to support China's goal of achieving carbon neutrality by 2060. The research also emphasizes the need for a holistic approach to forest management, considering both protection and utilization, to ensure sustainable development and ecological balance.China's extensive planted forests play a crucial role in carbon storage, contributing significantly to climate change mitigation. From 1990 to 2020, China's planted forest area doubled, increasing from 464.715 km² to 903.099 km², with an average annual increase of 14.63 km². This expansion led to a significant increase in carbon storage, rising from 675.6 ± 12.5 Tg C in 1990 to 1,873.1 ± 16.2 Tg C in 2020, at an average rate of approximately 40 Tg C per year. The expansion of planted forests, primarily through the conversion of croplands, shrublands, and grasslands, contributed about 53% of the total increase in carbon storage. The study highlights the importance of policy-driven expansion and the need for accurate monitoring and verification of carbon storage to support China's goal of achieving carbon neutrality by 2060. The research also emphasizes the need for a holistic approach to forest management, considering both protection and utilization, to ensure sustainable development and ecological balance.