Wednesday
April . 16th . 2025
Xi Jinping, general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, Chinese president and chairman of the Central Military Commission, attended a voluntary tree planting activity in Beijing on the morning of April 3. During the event, he emphasized that afforestation plays a crucial role in advancing ecological progress. All regions and departments should make further efforts to mobilize officials and the public to actively participate in tree planting and greening initiatives, embrace the concept of green development and promote ecological culture, thus pooling tremendous strength to build a Beautiful China and making the land of our motherland even more verdant and teeming with life.
Around the time of the traditional Qingming festival, Beijing, the national capital, was bathed in the gentle warmth of spring, with radiant scenery and balmy breezes. At around 10:30 a.m., Xi and other Party and state leaders, including Li Qiang, Zhao Leji, Wang Huning, Cai Qi, Ding Xuexiang, Li Xi and Han Zheng, arrived by bus at the bank of a section of the Yongding River in Fengtai District, where they joined officials and residents in a voluntary tree planting activity.
The tree planting site is located in the Yongding River's greenway demonstration section, an area with diverse water systems and a stretching 7-kilometer waterfront. The section is being developed into a green corridor that combines ecological conservation with recreational and fitness functions.
Upon seeing the general secretary's arrival, those who were planting trees warmly greeted him. Xi waved to them and walked toward the planting site with a shovel in hand. He then got to work alongside leading officials from the Beijing Municipality and the National Forestry and Grassland Administration, as well as other officials, members of the public, and Young Pioneers.
Digging holes with the shovel, building soil berms and watering the trees, Xi planted saplings of several species, including Chinese pine, Winter Gold, Prunus mume Meiren, Cornus walteri Wangerin, Chinese rubber tree, and Yuanbao maple. While working, he engaged with the children, asking about their studies, daily lives and physical activities. He emphasized that a better life is created through labor. Young people should cultivate a love for labor and nature, and actively participate in public welfare activities like afforestation. Through labor, they could build up their bodies, temper their willpower, increase their knowledge, and achieve all-around development in morality, intellectual ability, physical vigor, aesthetic sensibility and work skills. The tree planting site was a hive of activity, buzzing with energy.
During the tree planting activity, Xi also had cordial exchanges with the officials and residents on site. He said that at present, China's forest coverage rate has exceeded 25 percent, and the country has contributed about 25 percent of the world's newly forested land. Through sustained efforts, the Taklimakan Desert has put on a "green collar" and the Horqin Sandy Land has regained grassland scenery, which are hard-earned achievements. The ecological environment has continued to improve, with the public experiencing the most direct and tangible benefits. However, it must be acknowledged that China's total volume of forest and grassland resources remains inadequate, and their quality and efficiency still fall short of expectations. We must take concrete actions to address these pressing issues and strive to do better year after year.
Xi pointed out that to make China greener, concerted efforts must be made in green expansion, invigoration and protection. We must coordinate the roles of forests in conserving water, bringing in economic benefits, boosting food production and serving as a carbon sink. We should put a stronger emphasis on improving quality by optimizing forest stand structure, strengthening forest management and simultaneously improving the ecological quality of grasslands. We should attach greater importance to boosting the related industries by better leveraging reform to effectively utilize forest and grassland resources and expand the forest and grassland economy. We should also focus more on delivering benefits to the people by increasing greenery in their surroundings, beautifying their living environment, and expanding the potential for job and income growth in the forestry and grassland sectors.
Xi emphasized that voluntary tree planting should attract extensive public participation and must be carried on from generation to generation. It is essential to foster a stronger sense of responsibility, explore new ways of participation, and provide better services to ensure that voluntary tree planting is carried out effectively and yields tangible results in boosting afforestation and greening.
Members of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee in Beijing, members of the Secretariat of the CPC Central Committee, and state councilors participated in the tree planting activity.