Even much of eastern China is mountainous, i miss trees in Beijing's winter (they kind of just disappear until spring, not being evergreens).

True, and overall China has little arable land and comparatively even less woodlands.

In Beijing, there are some thujas (cypress-like trees) around but I agree that Beijing winter is not very colourful. And the yellow wind (i.e. sandstorm from Gobi) that you're about to get there just now isn't nice either, despite being a natural phenomenon.

Nothing that could sustain a forestry industry. Heck, beijing is a heavy importer of live tree transplants.

We haven't had real bad dust storms since 2008, though a few days last year were bad. And the wind does blow out the pollution so....