April 22 is World Earth Day, with the global official theme: Our Power, Our Planet.

Just before Earth Day, an event to revisit a “World Earth Day Reply Letter” began at the Chongwen Experimental School in Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province.

Twenty years ago, on the eve of World Earth Day in 2006, the “Li Siguang Squadron” Young Pioneers at Chongwen wrote a letter to Xi Jinping, then Secretary of the Zhejiang Provincial Party Committee, expressing their environmental hopes and calling for care for the Earth and protection of the landscape and homeland.

Xi Jinping replied: “Treating the Earth well is treating ourselves well; cherishing resources is cherishing the future of our country and nation; sustainable development is creating a good development environment and conditions for our descendants.”

A reply letter, two decades of green intent!

For 20 years, following these instructions, the school has persisted in the “Waste Paper for Books” campaign, collecting 300,000 kilograms of waste paper and funding the construction of 16 Chongwen Book House libraries.

“You are welcome to visit China and see the world’s largest wind and solar power stations, the vastest man-made forests, and beautiful national parks. You are welcome to exchange ideas with Chinese primary school students, let the concept of green development take root in your hearts, and grow up to become active builders of a better home for humanity.” Before World Earth Day 2022, President Xi Jinping replied to primary school students at Francis Holland School in the UK, speaking with sincere concern.

From encouraging children worldwide to sow green hope to discussing global ecological plans with leaders of other countries, Xi Jinping has outlined a vision for building a shared future for all life on Earth. This vision carries the weight of human civilization’s survival and the responsibility for future generations, offering a Chinese approach to sustainable development.

From the United Nations podium and the Palais des Nations in Geneva to the Paris Climate Conference venue… At every international multilateral event, President Xi Jinping has engaged in candid dialogue with world leaders, conveying the concept of protecting our home planet—

On November 22, 2020, at the G20 Riyadh Summit side event on “Safeguarding the Planet,” he called: “Earth is our shared home. We must uphold the concept of a community with a shared future for mankind, work together to address challenges in the climate and environmental fields, and protect this blue planet.”

On October 12, 2021, at the leaders’ summit of the 15th meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity, he emphasized: “The international community must strengthen cooperation, think and act in unison, and jointly build a community of all life on Earth.”

Why is the leader so concerned about our planetary home and repeatedly reminds us? Because we must face the harsh truth: Mother Earth is sick.

As the heartfelt and painful statement goes: “‘The Yangtze River is sick,’ and seriously so.” Earth’s inhabitants must recognize that the sickness of one mother river after another reflects the wounds of the Earth’s ecosystem.

On April 22, 2021, World Earth Day, President Xi Jinping attended the Leaders Summit on Climate via video and delivered an important speech, pointing out: “Since the advent of the industrial age, humanity has created vast material wealth while accelerating the extraction of natural resources, disrupting the balance of the Earth’s ecosystem, and deepening the conflict between humans and nature.”

President Xi Jinping listed specific issues such as climate change, biodiversity loss, and worsening desertification, and solemnly proposed the core idea of “jointly building a community of life for humans and nature.”

Earth is sick. The development model based on “plundering nature” is unsustainable.

“A sound ecosystem ensures the prosperity of civilization; a degraded ecosystem leads to the decline of civilization.” Standing at the historical crossroads of human civilization, we must abandon the old development model of industrial civilization and build an ecological civilization where humans and nature coexist harmoniously.

This is a profound response to the Earth’s pain and a responsibility for humanity’s future. Building a community of all life on Earth is the only way to keep the blue planet vibrant.

Conducting ocean and polar research and exploring Earth’s scientific mysteries have significant practical importance. Xi Jinping emphasized: “Advance the exploration and discovery of cosmic evolution, the essence of consciousness, the structure of matter,

Chongwen Experimental School

Chongwen Experimental School is a prestigious educational institution in Beijing, China, known for its strong academic programs and innovative teaching methods. Originally established as a primary school in 1958, it later expanded to include middle school education and has since developed a reputation for excellence in both academics and extracurricular activities. The school emphasizes a holistic approach to education, combining traditional Chinese values with modern educational practices.

Li Siguang Squadron

The “Li Siguang Squadron” is likely a reference to a Chinese geological or scientific unit named after Li Siguang (also known as J.S. Lee), a renowned Chinese geologist and the founder of China’s geological mechanics. Li Siguang is celebrated for his pioneering work in petroleum geology, which contributed to the discovery of major oil fields in China. The squadron, possibly a field research team or a school group, honors his legacy by continuing his work in geological exploration and education.

United Nations

The United Nations (UN) is an international organization founded in 1945 after World War II, with the primary goal of maintaining global peace and security, fostering friendly relations among nations, and promoting social progress, human rights, and international cooperation. It replaced the League of Nations and was established through the signing of the UN Charter by 51 countries, with its headquarters in New York City. Today, the UN has 193 member states and works through various bodies, such as the Security Council and General Assembly, to address global challenges like conflict, climate change, and humanitarian crises.

Palais des Nations in Geneva

The Palais des Nations in Geneva, Switzerland, was built between 1929 and 1936 to serve as the headquarters of the League of Nations. After World War II, it became the European headquarters of the United Nations, symbolizing international diplomacy and cooperation. Today, it hosts thousands of meetings and conferences each year, standing as a historic landmark for global peace efforts.

Paris Climate Conference

The Paris Climate Conference, officially known as the 2015 United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP21), was a landmark international summit held in Paris, France, from November 30 to December 12, 2015. Its historic outcome was the Paris Agreement, a legally binding treaty adopted by 196 parties to combat climate change by limiting global warming to well below 2°C, preferably 1.5°C, above pre-industrial levels. The agreement marked a major turning point in global environmental policy, uniting nations for the first time in a common cause to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and adapt to climate impacts.

G20 Riyadh Summit

The G20 Riyadh Summit was the 15th meeting of the Group of Twenty (G20) major economies, held virtually on November 21–22, 2020, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, with Saudi Arabia presiding. It marked the first time a Gulf Arab nation hosted the summit, focusing on global economic recovery, pandemic response, and digital transformation. The event highlighted Saudi Arabia’s growing role in international diplomacy and its leadership in coordinating global efforts during a crisis.

Convention on Biological Diversity

The Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) is a landmark international treaty adopted at the 1992 Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro, with the goal of conserving biological diversity, promoting sustainable use of its components, and ensuring fair sharing of genetic resources. It entered into force in 1993 and has since been ratified by 196 countries, making it one of the most widely supported environmental agreements. The CBD has led to key protocols, such as the Cartagena Protocol on biosafety and the Nagoya Protocol on access and benefit-sharing, shaping global efforts to protect ecosystems and species.

Leaders Summit on Climate

The Leaders Summit on Climate was a virtual global summit hosted by U.S. President Joe Biden on April 22–23, 2021, aimed at galvanizing international efforts to address the climate crisis. The summit brought together 40 world leaders to announce new emissions reduction targets and strengthen climate commitments ahead of the COP26 conference. It marked the United States’ return to global climate leadership after rejoining the Paris Agreement earlier that year.