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Support Green Olympics initiative: Hu

PHOTO: XINHUA

PITCHING IN: Chinese President Hu Jintao (centre) takes part in tree planting at the Olympic Forest Park in Beijing on Saturday.

BEIJING: Chinese President Hu Jintao and senior leaders took part in a voluntary tree planting activity at the Olympic Forest Park here on Saturday.

Top legislator Wu Bangguo, Premier Wen Jiabao, political adviser Jia Qinglin, Li Changchun, Xi Jinping, Li Keqiang, He Guoqiang, and Zhou Yongkang also planted trees at the park next to the national stadium, main venue of the Beijing Olympic Games. Covering some 680 hectares in the north of Beijing, the park is a major part of the 2008 Olympics infrastructure, which is expected to improve the city’s environment and air quality.

Mr. Hu said the Beijing Olympics and Paralympics were fast approaching. He urged Beijingers to support the Green Olympics initiative and make the city greener and more beautiful before athletes from worldwide come in August.

Beijing’s air quality has been a subject of concern among some foreign athletes planning to attend the Games. However, many have acknowledged that the city has done much to improve it.

This is the fifth time since 2001 the leaders took part in the activity at the park, where nearly 5,00,000 trees have been planted. Mr. Hu said voluntary tree planting was an effective way to get everyone involved in improving the environment. “For every tree we plant today, we gain another spot of green in the future.”

About 2 million Beijingers took part in planting activities in the capital on Saturday, which is Beijing’s 24th voluntary tree planting day. — Xinhua

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