KUNMING -- Chinese Vice-Premier Han Zheng on Tuesday called for active steps to promote ecological conservation and restoration, and to strengthen ecosystem resilience so as to protect Earth.

Han, also a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, made the remarks while attending the leaders' summit of the 15th meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity (COP15) in Kunming, the capital of southwest China's Yunnan Province.

It is hoped that all parties at the conference, with the greatest political determination, will respond to the enormous challenges facing biodiversity, jointly launch a new process of global biodiversity governance, and contribute wisdom and strength to building a community for all life on Earth, Han noted.

As the world's largest developing country, China will comprehensively promote a modernization in which humans and nature coexist in harmony while adopting more practical and effective policies and measures to strengthen ecological and environmental protection, Han said.

The country will shoulder international responsibilities compatible with its level of development and its capabilities, and make due contributions to global biodiversity governance, he said.

Themed "Ecological Civilization: Building a Shared Future for All Life on Earth," COP15 has gathered over 5,000 representatives from more than 140 parties and over 30 international institutions and organizations to attend the conference in person or via video link.