President Xi Jinping plants and waters trees with primary school pupils in Beijing on Friday. The other six members of the CPC Political Bureau Standing Committee, Li Keqiang, Zhang Dejiang, Yu Zhengsheng, Liu Yunshan, Wang Qishan and Zhang Gaoli, also attended the event. [Photo by Zhang Wei / For China Daily]

President Xi Jinping highlighted the importance of ecology and environmental protection as he called for greater awareness of their benefits at this "historic moment".

He made the comments when taking part in a tree-planting event in Beijing, which gathered together leaders of the Party and country, including seven members of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee.

Upon his arrival at a village in Chaoyang district, Xi went directly to the tree-planting site, where he was greeted by residents.

The site, previously a market for agricultural products, was incorporated by the Beijing municipal government into its tree-planting plan for 2015.

Xi said the country is "enjoying more trees, greener mountains and land" after decades of tree planting, and China has made an important contribution to the world in this regard.

But "the work remaining to be done to boost ecology is remarkable" and the "environmental issues are still dire" as he noted greater public expectation concerning the environment.

China "must strengthen ecological restoration and protection. This is a historic moment," he said.

Tree planting and nurturing forests are important ways to enhance the environment and bring benefit to everyone and the whole nation should continue to plant trees and make "building a beautiful China" an act of public spontaneity, he said.

Xi planted six saplings, and he talked to the residents stressing that everyone has a role in boosting the environment.

Bit by bit and step-by-step efforts are needed to shape a "resource-saving and environmentally friendly society", he said.