On January 6th, Chinese President Xi Jinping sent a letter in reply to the student representatives of the Global Alliance of Universities on Climate (GAUC), expressing his appreciation for their common concern for the planet and future of mankind. The message is as follows:

6 January 2020

Student Representatives of the Global Alliance of Universities on Climate,

I am glad to receive your letter. I greatly appreciate the fact that although you are from different countries, you share a common concern on climate change, an issue that bears on the future of mankind.

Over four decades ago, I lived and worked for many years in a small village on the Loess Plateau in western China. Back then, the ecology and environment there was seriously damaged due to over-development and the local people were trapped in poverty as a result. This experience taught me that man and nature are a community of life and that the damage done to nature will ultimately hurt mankind. I have since put forward the concept that lucid waters and lush mountains are invaluable assets in themselves. My goal is for China to build an ecological civilization as part of our international responsibility to tackle climate change, and at the same time to work with the rest of the world to protect the Earth, the common home of us all.

I look forward to your active efforts in this field as doctoral students from world-renowned universities. I also welcome your continued interest in China's development and more good suggestions from you.

Xi Jinping

President

The People's Republic of China