Forest ecosystems are the major components of terrestrial ecosystems. On the basis of their high primary productivity and abundant biodiversity, they play crucial roles in underpinning global ecosystems and human social-economic development. Population growth and rapid economic development are leading to increasing demand for forest resources and forest ecosystem services; in addition, modern human perceptions of and attitudes toward forest resource are changing. Strengthening of sustainable forest management to expand forest areas and improve forest quality and ecosystem functions constitutes the core task of China's forestry development strategy, ecological civilization initiative, and "Beautiful China" campaign. Here, we review historical and current developments in forest ecosystem management; in addition, we discuss the current problems and challenges faced by forest management in China. We explore future trends in China's forest management, based on ecosystem management principles and human welfare development for the multiple demands of forest ecosystem services. We consider four different future forest management strategies. (1) A focus on changing from forest area expansion to enhancement of forest productivity and stand quality. (2) A change from a unique focus on timber production to multiple management objectives with increased attention to ecological, social, and economic dimensions beyond traditional economic values in terms of timber production and non-timber products. (3) Implementation of forest management across different scales, with a change from a stand level to an ecosystem level and even a landscape level. Spatial heterogeneity and forest dynamic changes across scales should be recognized, and forest landscape connectivity and diversity should be increasingly considered. Trade-offs and synergy among multiple services from various ecosystems across the forest landscape will be appropriately managed to meet the different interests of various stakeholders. Adoption of such a forest landscape management strategy will contribute to achieving optimal land use patterns in association with optimal resource utilization of biological, land, and water resources. This, in turn, will facilitate landscape sustainability and stability via a harmonized landscape configuration composed of mosaic land patches; in addition, it will improve the resilience of forest ecosystems to climate change. (4) A forest ecosystem management system that is dependent mainly on updated forest monitoring data, digitized geo-spatial information, and intelligent decision-making process, rather than on traditional knowledge, experience, and subjective judgment. In summary, there is a clear need to develop decision-making support systems and forest landscape restoration and spatial management planning systems, in order to shape a knowledge- and information-based forest ecosystem management system.