Makit County, located on the southwestern rim of the Taklimakan Desert, has become a shining example of China's success in simultaneously alleviating desertification while improving the standard of living for locals.
The Taklimakan Desert, China's largest desert, is also known as the "Sea of Death" and has remained an inhospitable land for a long time.
Surrounded by deserts, Makit is the only county in the country that is embedded in a desert, with the desert covering 90 percent of the total area of the county. Many ordinary people in the county in northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region are fighting tenacious and unrelenting battles against desertification.
Yin Honghai, 46, is a member of the anti-desertification team. Working tirelessly under the scorching sun of the desert all year round, his face is tanned and reddened. At times, he even has to live and eat in the desert for consecutive months.
"It's normal that sometimes we might even eat sand along with our food," said Yin Honghai, Party branch secretary of the Sand Control Center of Makit County.
In fact, Yin and his colleagues also encountered various difficulties during the process of afforestation.
"During the planting process, we encountered issues with the survival rate of the seedlings. In a desert with no sign of vegetation anywhere, can trees really thrive in the desert? There were doubts, but we didn't give up. At that time, we wanted to cultivate trees that would be suitable for growth in our desert in our own way," he said.
Yin and his colleagues have continuously explored and practiced, finding ways to improve the survival rate of seedlings.
"This is the populus diversifolia tree that we planted ourselves, and it was also transplanted from our nursery garden. These populus diversifolia trees have grown very well in the past year. The roots can reach more than 50 meters deep, and such vegetation can protect our green homeland," he said.
"Party branch secretary Yin has been leading us to plant trees here for several years. Now that the trees have grown, we can graze sheep, and our living conditions are getting better and better," said a local farmer.
In today's Makit, sandy and dusty weather has decreased from over 150 days in 2010 to fewer than 50 days a year.
Xinjiang's Makit battles desertification by planting populus diversifolia trees
Chinese envoy on Wednesday expressed support for the United Nations Verification Mission in Colombia (UNVMC) to continue fulfilling its mandate, advancing the Colombian-led and Colombian-owned peace process, and providing vital assistance to Colombia in achieving peace and development.
Geng Shuang, China's deputy permanent representative to the UN, made the statement when speaking at a UN Security Council meeting on the Colombian situation at the UN headquarter.
UN secretary-general's special representative for Colombia and head of the UNVMC Carlos Ruiz Massieu said that Colombia had achieved some milestones as it celebrated the eighth anniversary of a landmark peace deal. However, violent incidents earlier this year resulted in dozens of deaths. He emphasized the need for Colombia to strengthen the government's presence in remote areas, as the peace agreement remains central to achieving lasting peace in the country. He called on the international community to continue its unwavering support for this process.
Geng expressed hope that in the new year, all parties in Colombia will remain steadfast, united, and committed to writing new chapters of peace, reconciliation, and progress. Geng put forward three key expectations: achieving new progress in improving the security situation, advancing dialogue and reconciliation, and making new achievements in implementing the peace agreement.
"We support the Colombian government's efforts to increase security deployment to effectively deter violent activities, stabilize the situation as quickly as possible, ensure the safety of people's lives, alleviate the local humanitarian crisis, and strengthen protection for former armed personnel, ethnic groups and vulnerable groups such as women and children," said Geng.
Geng noted that the current peace talks between the Colombian government and the National Liberation Army (ELN) have encountered setbacks. China hopes that both sides will resolve their differences through dialogue and resume negotiations at an early date, and expects that the Colombian government's peace talks with other armed groups will remain unaffected, he said.
China commends the Colombian government, under the leadership of President Gustavo Petro, for prioritizing the implementation of the peace agreement in its governance agenda and for its efforts in areas such as rural reform and the reintegration of former armed personnel into society, Geng said.
China also calls on UN agencies, as well as international and regional partners, to continue supporting Colombia in consolidating the achievements of the peace process, he said.
Recently, armed clashes have continued between Colombia's main anti-government armed group, the ELN, and former members of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) in the Catatumbo region, northern Colombia.
According to data from the Colombian Ombudsman's Office, the conflict has displaced 36,000 people. Petro on Monday declared a state of internal commotion.
FARC, once Colombia's largest anti-government armed group, signed a peace agreement with the government in 2016, disarmed the following year, and transitioned into a political party.
However, some FARC members refused to disarm and formed splinter groups. The ELN primarily engages in drug trafficking and other criminal activities along Colombia's Pacific coast and border regions. On Friday, the Colombian government announced the suspension of peace talks with the ELN once again.
China reaffirms support for Colombia's peace process
China reaffirms support for Colombia's peace process
China reaffirms support for Colombia's peace process
