Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao has called for "unremitting efforts"
to stop the spread of deserts and to ensure sustainable economic
and social development.
Wen told a national meeting on desertification prevention and
treatment, held in Beijing on March 26 and 27, that fighting the
spread of deserts and minimizing their impact was a long-term and
arduous task.
He called on officials and the public in desert areas to
continue their battle against desertification guided by the
scientific concept of development.
Wen warned of the grave challenges China faced, saying desert
areas now account for one-fifth of the country's total land
area.
He stressed the importance of research into and application of
desertification treatment technologies.
Addressing the same meeting, Vice Premier Hui Liangyu called for efforts to protect and
increase vegetation to rein in the expansion in desert areas.
"We should regard desertification treatment as a major task of
great importance on economic and social development, the
improvement of the ecology and people's livelihoods in desert
areas," Hui said.
(Xinhua News Agency March 28, 2007)