President Xi Jinping called on the public on Wednesday to stick to the tradition of planting trees in spring amid the government's continuous efforts to build an ecological civilization.

Xi, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, made the remarks while planting trees, together with other senior leaders and people including primary school students, in eastern Beijing.

It is a Chinese tradition to plant trees when Qingming Festival (Tomb Sweeping Day, which falls on April 4 this year) draws near, Xi noted. Voluntary tree planting has significant meanings, he added, including to help the public cultivate a consciousness of ecological civilization and reach consensus on and join forces to building an ecological civilization.