Efforts to remove smooth cord grass, an invasive species, in coastal provinces in China have yielded positive results.

By the end of October, the country had cleared 30,000 hectares of cord grass, 86 percent of this year's annual target, the National Forestry and Grassland Administration said on Tuesday.

Provinces including Fujian, Shandong, Liaoning and Hainan are now free of cord grass.

Smooth cord grass, introduced from the Atlantic coast of the United States, spread in China over the past decade, damaging the coastal wetland environment.