China’s success in reforesting the once barren Kubuqi Desert has seen the region gradually prosper in the development of the green economy, while the country seeks to share and promote the model worldwide.

The sixth Kubuqi International Desert Forum kicked off Saturday in the Kubuqi Desert in northern China’s Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, attracting delegates and experts from home and abroad to discuss desertification.

Kubuqi is the seventh largest desert in China, covering an area of 18,600 square kilometers. It was once the source of frequent sandstorms hitting Beijing.

Over the past three decades, farmers and herdsmen in Kubuqi planted Chinese medicinal herbs, such as liquorice, to improve soil, built photovoltaic power stations for electricity and fostered tourism.

These efforts not only contributed to the greening of more than 6,000 square kilometers of Kubuqi, but also lifted 102,000 people out of poverty.

The core of success at Kubuqi is its sustainable business model, and the establishment of a system that incorporates policy instruments, private sector investment and active participation of locals, according to a policy report from the United Nations Environment Programme.

The greening project in Kubuqi has offered a model for the world to tackle desertification, said representatives of the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification.

China has made great progress in the fight against desertification in the past few years, with shrinking degraded land and reduced poverty in desertified areas.

The area of desertified land in the country now shrinks by an annual average of over 2,400 square km, compared with an annual average expansion of over 10,000 square km at the end of last century, making China the first country in the world to achieve desert shrinkage, according to Chinese Vice Premier Ma Kai, who addressed the forum’s opening ceremony.

China will keep innovating taxation, investment and financing mechanism for desertification control, bring more parties to join efforts in the endeavor and improve local people’s income by developing related industries, Ma said.

For the 2016-2020 period, China aims to rehabilitate 10 million hectares of desertified land and turn more than half of the country’s reclaimable desert into green land.

In early September, China will host a United Nations meeting on fighting desertification in Inner Mongolia, which is expected to draw a roadmap to end desert expansion by 2030.

China is willing to uphold the Silk Road spirit and work together with the international community to build a greener world and contribute to global sustainable development, Ma added.

Chinese President Xi Jinping mounted a field jeep to inspect troops at Zhurihe training base in north China’s Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region Sunday morning.

Han Weiguo, commander-in-chief of the parade and commander of the Central Theater Command of the People’s Liberation Army (PLA), reported to Xi that the troops are ready.

Xi, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, ordered the inspection to begin.

The parade is held in celebration of the 90th anniversary of the founding of PLA.

Chinese President Xi Jinping reviewed the country’s armed forces in the field on Sunday morning, as part of the commemorations to mark the 90th founding anniversary of the People’s Liberation Army (PLA).

It is the first time that Xi, also general secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China and chairman of the Central Military Commission, observed such a massive parade staged in the field.

Xi was greeted by Han Weiguo, commander-in-chief of the parade and commander of the Central Theater Command.

Han reported: “Comrade chairman, the troops are ready. Please review!”

“Proceed!” Xi said.

Clad in camouflage military suit, Xi stood in an open-roof jeep that drove slowly past formations of troops as military music was being played through loudspeakers.

The soldiers were standing to attention down the length of an airstrip at the Zhurihe military training base, flanked by sandy prairies that stretched to mountains on the skyline.

Every few moments, Xi called out “Salute to you, comrades!” through microphones mounted in front of him, to which assembled troops responded “Hail to you, chairman!” Xi alternated that greeting with “Comrades, thanks for your hard work!” to which soldiers replied “Serve the people!”

“Follow the Party! Fight to win! Forge exemplary conduct!” Servicemen and women saluted Xi and exclaimed.

Chinese President Xi Jinping ascended to the reviewing stand at Zhurihe military training base in north China’s Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region on Sunday for the Army Day parade.

Xi is also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission (CMC).

Fan Changlong, CMC vice chairman, announced beginning of the inspection.

The parade is held in celebration of the 90th anniversary of the founding of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army.

China Saturday launched a medium-level emergency response plan to brace for the upcoming dual typhoons.

The State Flood Control and Drought Relief Headquarters launched a level III emergency response plan for the two typhoons set to hit Taiwan and Fujian this weekend.

Nesat, the ninth typhoon this year, is expected to make landfall in Taiwan Saturday and might land in the form of a typhoon or strong tropical storm in Fujian early Sunday.

The tenth typhoon is expected to hit central and northern Fujian late Sunday or early Monday.

Downpours are forecast in eastern part of south China, east China and Shandong Province, and the biggest rainfall in Fujian could reach 500 millimeters.

China has a four-level emergency response mechanism to deal with droughts and floods, with the first-level to deal with the most serious cases and the fourth-level to prepare for the least serious cases.

Under a level III emergency response plan, the office must report to the State Council within two hours and send a work team to the disaster zone within 24 hours.

The State Flood Control and Drought Relief Headquarters urged local governments to prepare for the typhoons with timely warning, safety checks and effective flood drainage measures.