President Xi Jinping, who is also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, joins schoolchildren in a tree planting activity on April 3 in Beijing's Tongzhou district. Other leaders also participated in the voluntary activity. [Photo by Ju Peng/Xinhua]

President Xi Jinping called for further efforts to advance the country's large-scale afforestation programs, promote green development and strengthen the protection of forests and grassland, in order to build a more beautiful China.

He made the remarks on April 3 when attending a voluntary tree planting activity in Beijing's Tongzhou district.

Noting that this year marks the 45th anniversary of the establishment of the National Tree Planting Day in China, Xi, who is also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, spoke highly of the nation's remarkable achievements in afforestation.

It was the whole country's persistent efforts that transformed barren mountains into picturesque landscapes and deserts into oases, he said.

Official data shows that China planted more than 3.9 million hectares of forests, restored 4.3 million hectares of degraded grassland, and treated 1.9 million hectares of sandy and stony land last year.

Xi said it is important to be aware that China still faces the problem of inadequate forest and green coverage, and the potential of forests in terms of economic development has not yet been fully tapped.

Efforts must be continued to plant trees, generation after generation, in order to accumulate the country's "green assets", he said.

While planting saplings of various types of trees together with young students, Xi encouraged the children, whom he called the future of China, to sow the seeds of green in their hearts, respect and love nature, and endeavor to become the backbone of the nation.

Xi emphasized the importance of using scientific methods to plant trees, in order to increase their survival rate, and expanding the ways to transform lucid waters and lush mountains into invaluable assets.

Given that afforestation is hard won, he said that efforts must be made to prevent and control forest fires and to carry out campaigns to identify and prevent major hidden risks.

In order to build a green Great Wall in Northeast, North and Northwest China, he also urged more efforts to be devoted to the Three-North Shelterbelt Program, where tackling desertification has become a long-term task of historic importance.

Xi has participated in Beijing's annual tree planting activities for 17 consecutive years since he became a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee in 2007.