Guan Zhi'ou, head of the Chinese delegation and administrator of the National Forestry and Grassland Administration, speaks at the opening ceremony of the China Pavilion at the 16th Conference of the Parties (COP16) to the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on Dec. 2, 2024. The China Pavilion at the 16th Conference of the Parties (COP16) to the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) officially opened on Monday, highlighting China's decades-long efforts and achievements in combating desertification. (Xinhua/Wang Dongzhen)