NPC deputy spends life in sand control, shedding light on greening efforts
In the arduous battle against desertification, Shi Guangyin, 72, Party chief of Shilisha village of Dingbian county in Yulin city, Northwest China's Shaanxi province, has dedicated over 40 years of his life to combating sandstorms and establishing a "Green Great Wall" in desolate lands.
In Yulin, a key area in China's Three-North Shelterbelt Forest Program that was initiated by the Chinese government in the 1970s to improve the ecological environment in northern China, Shi, a deputy to the Yulin Municipal People's Congress, has led his community in planting over 53 million trees across 250,000 mu (17,000 hectares) of barren land, transforming 350,000 mu of land into lush greenery.
Desertification poses a significant global ecological challenge that affects human survival and development. China is one of the most severely affected countries. Historically, Yulin has suffered extensive ecological degradation, with vast forests being decimated and barren land merging with the Mu Us Desert. In the 100 years prior to the founding of the People's Republic of China in 1949, Yulin saw six towns, 412 villages, and 2.1 million-mu farmland swallowed by drifting sands.
- Arab League delegation visits China-Arab Research Center on Reform and Development for 10th anniversary
- Shanghai Jiao Tong University launches Center for Studies of Global South Sustainable Development
- Ex-CNNC general manager faces disciplinary probe
- China launches long march 12 rocket, deploys satellites for expanding space network
- Global gathering transforms Yixing village into youth hub
- China's prosecutors intensify crackdown on crime, charge 1.27 million in first 11 months of 2025
































