China's cotton planting area this year is expected to rise 5.5 percent from 2010, a tad higher than earlier estimated, the China Cotton Association said on Friday. Total cotton area in 2011 is estimated at 5.41 million tonnes, up slightly from the association's forecast of 5.4 million tonnes at the start of this month, it said in a statement published on its web site (www.china-cotton.org). Chinese farmers have completed cotton planting for this year, it said.