The Yangtze and Yellow rivers are the mother rivers of the Chinese nation and nurture a brilliant Chinese civilization. They support more than half of China's population and economic output nowadays. Since 2013, Chinese President Xi Jinping has visited 11 provinces and municipalities along the Yangtze River Economic Belt, and nine provinces and autonomous regions in the Yellow River Basin. Xi's care for the protection of the two rivers shows the concern of the Chinese leadership for balancing ecological environment protection and economic development.