Xi plants trees in Beijing, urging nationwide afforestation efforts for beautiful China

BEIJING, April 3 (Xinhua) -- Chinese President Xi Jinping on Wednesday attended a voluntary tree planting activity in Beijing and called for nationwide efforts in afforestation to jointly build a beautiful China.

Xi, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, made the remarks while attending the tree planting activity in a forest park in Beijing's Tongzhou District.

Xi and other leaders, including Li Qiang, Zhao Leji, Wang Huning, Cai Qi, Ding Xuexiang, Li Xi, and Han Zheng, arrived at the site in the morning and planted trees with local people.

He said the tree planting activity aims to call on all people to take actions and join the tree planting and afforestation efforts to add a greener hue to the building of a beautiful China.

At the planting site, Xi waved to the crowd to extend greetings, and then picked up a shovel to join the activity. He planted saplings of multiple types of trees.

While planting the trees, he also asked the children at the site about their study, life and their participation in work and sports. He stressed that young children need to engage themselves in work and afforestation from childhood and develop their awareness to revere and love nature.

He also asked the students to study hard, build up their bodies and become the backbone of the country.