Sino-Forest Appoints William E. Ardell as New Board Member

TORONTO , Jan. 18 /CNW/ - Sino-Forest Corporation (TSX:TRE), a leading commercial forest plantation operator in China , is pleased to announce the appointment of William E. Ardell to its Board of Directors.

"Bill is an experienced corporate executive who has held senior executive positions in large public companies and has served on the Board of Directors and on Board committees of other public, private and not for profit corporations. We are very pleased to have Bill join our Board and look forward to his advice and counsel based on his past Chief Executive Officer and senior independent director knowledge and experience," said Allen Chan , Chairman and CEO of Sino-Forest Corporation.

Mr. Ardell began his career with the Touche group in Montreal and subsequently moved to the private sector where he gained increasingly senior executive roles in the commercial printing, retail and media industries. In his last role, Mr. Ardell was President & CEO and a director of Southam Inc. Subsequent to his departure from Southam Inc. he has sat on a number of public and private sector boards as well as not for profit organizations, serving in varying capacities as Chairman, Senior Director and Director and as the Chair and/or member of many board committees. During his career, Mr. Ardell has had experience in capital markets, acquisitions and divestures as well as strategic planning and implementation. He has a commerce degree from Sir George Williams University and is a Harvard Advanced Management Program graduate.

About Sino-Forest Corporation

Sino-Forest Corporation is a leading commercial forest plantation operator in China . Its principal businesses include the ownership and management of forest plantation trees, the sale of standing timber and wood logs, and the complementary manufacturing of downstream engineered-wood products. The Company's common shares have traded on the Toronto Stock Exchange under the symbol TRE since 1995.

For further information: SINO-FOREST CORPORATION: Toronto, Dave Horsley, Senior Vice President & Chief Financial Officer, Tel: [phone], Email: [email protected]; Hong Kong, Louisa Wong, Senior Manager, Investor Communications & Relations, Tel: [phone], Email: [email protected]