President Xi plants trees, promotes 'beautiful China' (4)

BEIJING, April 2 (Xinhua) -- Chinese President Xi Jinping on Tuesday morning attended a voluntary tree planting activity and urged more afforestation work to build a "beautiful China."

Xi and other top leaders, including Premier Li Keqiang as well as Zhang Dejiang, Yu Zhengsheng, Liu Yunshan, Wang Qishan and Zhang Gaoli, visited the project in a riverside afforestation site in Beijing's Fengtai District.

The president carefully packed soil around the newly planted trees, mulched and watered the trees with officials from the Beijing municipal government and the State Forestry Administration as well as representatives of young pioneers.

He called for vigorous efforts to protect the country's forests and deepen the voluntary tree planting campaign as it will create a better ecological environment for the nation to realize "the Chinese dream."

Leading officials from the forestry administration also briefed Xi about afforestation efforts across the country.

He expressed his appreciation for the achievements of the last 30 years but also warned that the mission of afforestation in China is arduous since the country's forest resources are still scarce and its ecological system remains vulnerable.

Forests are the mainstay and an important resource for the terrestrial ecosystem, and they are also an important environmental safeguard for the survival and development for mankind, Xi said. "It is hard to imagine how the Earth and human beings would look without forests."

He further called on the entire society to enhance awareness of ecological and environmental protection.

When planting trees with the young pioneers, Xi talked with the children about their lives and study.

He told the young pioneers to protect forests and the environment, as well as to foster a frugal lifestyle.

Moreover, he reminded the children to do more physical exercises.

"Families, schools and society should create good conditions for the healthy growth of kids, just like it is with these trees," according to Xi.

He planted a ginkgo and another four trees of different species.

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