Xi: Make homeland green

President Xi Jinping pitches in at a tree planting activity in Beijing's Tongzhou district on Monday. He said such efforts will greatly benefit future generations. XIE HUANCHI / XINHUA

Quantity, quality should be ensured, general secretary says as he joins effort

Both quantity and quality should be ensured as China unfolds its effort to make the homeland greener, President Xi Jinping said on Monday as he took part in a voluntary tree planting event in Beijing.

Xi, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, has called on top officials at different levels to lead public efforts in planting trees voluntarily and cherishing the natural environment as much as their lives.

China has set the goal of increasing areas covered by forest to average world levels around the middle of this century.

The homeland greening effort also aims to increase its percentage of forest cover to about 23 percent in 2020 and 26 percent in 2035.

As he shoveled soil alongside residents of Beijing's Tongzhou district, Xi said planting trees is one of the nation's great traditions. 

President Xi Jinping, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, walks with pupils after a voluntary tree planting activity in the eastern suburbs of Beijing, April 2, 2018. Other Chinese leaders including Li Keqiang, Li Zhanshu, Wang Yang, Wang Huning, Zhao Leji, Han Zheng and Wang Qishan also attended the event. [Photo/Xinhua]

The event on Monday helps fulfill a duty and is also a tangible move that helps shape a beautiful China, boosts ecological civilization and improves public well-being, Xi said.

The country's homeland greening effort should be based on a scientific approach and led by organized plantings and should be in accord with local conditions, Xi said.

He has called on lasting efforts to make sure the planned missions are completed, and to improve the quality and stability of the country's ecological system.

Effort should be made to beautify the environment and ensure the public's comfort with the environment, Xi added.

The greening project should be implemented on a solid basis, and the forms of voluntary plantings should be further diversified, Xi said, adding that the efforts made by this generation will benefit generations to come.