Chinese President Hu Jintao Saturday called for a full mobilization of government leaders across the country to join in the afforestation campaign, in a bid to make the country more beautiful and green.

Hu, together with Jiang Zemin, chairman of the Central Military Commission, and other Communist Party and State leaders, came to the Chaoyang Park in downtown Beijing at about 10:00 a.m. Saturday to pitch in the annual voluntary tree-planting activities held throughout the Chinese capital.

Beijing's persevering efforts in tree planting over recent years have helped greatly improve the look of the Chinese capital and its ecological environment, said Hu, while citing afforestation as a crucial task to promote the harmonious relations between human beings and nature and also a great cause that will benefit generations to come.

Related activities held across the city in the day attracted some 2 million local residents from all walks of life.

In 1985, the Beijing Municipal People's Congress designated the first weekend day of April each year as a voluntary day for planting trees, aiming to increase public awareness of the importance of afforestation for environment improvement.

Built in 1984, Chaoyang is the leading urban park in Beijing with the largest land area, and covers more than 120 hectares in total.

China's top leaders previously planted trees in Chaoyang in 1992 and 1996.

(Xinhua News Agency April 4, 2004)