SHIJIAZHUANG, Jan. 26 (Xinhua) -- North China's Hebei Province, neighboring Beijing, has said it will plant more trees in 2018 to build a "green wall" for the capital.

Hebei will begin a three-year campaign to expand afforestation area starting this year, said Xu Qin, governor of the province.

The year 2018 will see afforestation area increase by 6,113 square kilometers in the province, and reforesting 171 former mining areas and 2,000 square kilometers of soil erosion areas.

According to Xu, 67 square kilometers of forest areas will be created this year in Xiongan New Area, a new economic zone in Hebei Province about 100 kilometers southwest of Beijing.

Zhangjiakou City, which will co-host the 2022 Winter Olympics with Beijing, will also start to increase its afforestation.

More than 17,000 square kilometers of forest have been created over the past five years in the province. The afforestation rate has been increased to 33 percent from 27 percent, said Xu.