In a remarkable transformation, an once barren stretch of land at the edge of the Taklamakan Desert in northwest China’s Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region has turned green and vibrant, thanks to unrelenting efforts of anti-desertification.
Luopu County, one of the main battlefields for preventing desertification, was once subjected to severe wind and sandstorms for more than five months every spring and summer due to the lack of vegetation coverage.
Things started to change six months ago as a photovoltaic project located on the border between the desert and a village of the country was launched.
The project features huge solar panels that can both generate electricity and act as metal windbreaks. The panels reduce wind speeds, which in turn lowers the amount of sand blown into nearby villages and cities.
In addition, the project specially introduced agricultural cultivation to stabilize the sand, fixing the sand on the surface with plant roots to solve the problem of sand moving.
Agricultural technicians comprehensively calculated the water consumption of crops and the economic value of output per unit area and identified alfalfa as the most suitable for planting, which can also serve as forage for cattle and sheep.
The photovoltaic panels at the same time will provide shade for plants to reduce water evaporation.
The carefully designed approach thus offers a three-in-one solution to the region’s challenges of power generation, sand control, and agricultural development.
Barren land in Xinjiang regains vitality via new model of sand control
As host of the 33rd APEC Economic Leaders' Meeting, China is committed to promoting regional cooperation and development across the Asia-Pacific, Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Ma Zhaoxu said.
This year marks the APEC "China Year," with the theme of "Building an Asia-Pacific Community to Prosper Together." China will host the 33rd APEC Economic Leaders' Meeting in November.
The country is holding the first first senior officials' meeting and related events in Guangzhou, the capital of south China's Guangdong Province, from Feb. 1 to 10, marking the launch of a year-long series of APEC China Year activities.
In an interview with China Media Group (CMG), Ma said China aims to set the tone for unity in the Asia-Pacific region by emphasizing free trade and practical partnerships in an increasingly uncertain world.
"The world today is beset with changes and disturbances, with turmoil continuing to mount, unilateralism and protectionism on the rise, and the international economic and trade order facing grave challenges. The Asia-Pacific region stands at a crossroads and must choose its path, while international cooperation faces a critical moment of either advancement or regression. Against this backdrop, China's role as the host of the 2026 APEC meeting carries significance that extends far beyond APEC itself, and even beyond the Asia-Pacific region," he said.
Noting the 2026 APEC "China Year" coincides with the inaugural year of China's 15th Five-Year Plan, Ma said that as the host of APEC meeting, China will play a leading role in shaping regional economic integration and advancing the development of an Asia-Pacific community. "China's economy is growing steadily, with an optimized structure and fresh momentum. It has surpassed 140 trillion yuan. Looking ahead to the 15th Five-Year Plan period (2026-2030), China will further deepen reforms and expand opening-up. As APEC host, we will carry forward the historical initiative, lead regional economic integration, promote an Asia-Pacific Community, and create a good external environment for building a new development pattern and promoting high-quality development," said the vice foreign minister.
China to boost Asia-Pacific cooperation, development as APEC host: official
