Chinese President Xi Jinping vowed to press on with prevention against and control of desertification on Saturday in a congratulatory letter addressed to the seventh Kubuqi international desert forum. The event opened on Saturday in Ordos City, north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, attracting delegates and experts from home and abroad to discuss desertification.

Xi said desertification control is a great cause related to the sustainable development of all mankind and called on the international community to jointly cooperate on the issue and implement the United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

He also hailed China's achievements on combating desertification, saying reforesting the once barren Kubuqi Desert is a good example of China's success in containing desertification and China offers its experience with the international community.

Xi called for closer cooperation on fighting desertification among countries and regions taking part in the Belt and Road Initiative, stressing China is resolute in pursuing a green development and willing to work with all parties to advance global environmental governance and contribute to the building of a beautiful and clean world.

The Kubuqi Model: A Chinese solution to desertification

Kubuqi is the seventh largest desert in China, covering an area of 18,600 square kilometers. It was once the source of frequent sandstorms hitting Beijing.

Over the past three decades, farmers and herdsmen in Kubuqi planted Chinese medicinal herbs, such as licorice, to improve soil, built photovoltaic power stations for electricity and fostered tourism.

These efforts not only contributed to the greening of more than 6,000 square kilometers of Kubuqi, but also lifted 102,000 people out of poverty.

The core of success at Kubuqi is its sustainable business model and the establishment of a system that incorporates policy instruments, private sector investment and active participation of locals, according to a policy report from the United Nations Environment Program.

The greening project in Kubuqi has offered a model for the world to tackle desertification, said representatives of the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification.