A senior Chinese official, Jia Qinglin, Friday called on the nation to plant more trees in an effort to promote environmental protection for harmonious development of nature and mankind.

Jia is the chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, the top advisory body of the country, and the honorary chairman of the Green China Fund (GCF), an NGO for environmental protection.

Great achievements have been made in greening the country and ecological construction over the past decades, but "we must be clearly aware that it is far away from what the people have expected, and hard work is needed for the long run," Jia told members of the GCF fifth board of directors.

Describing the GCF as an important force in mobilizing the general public to participate in tree planting, Jia said he hoped the NGO to continue the work while assisting the government to carry out various policies toward the development of forestry in the country.

(Xinhua News Agency June 4, 2005)