The World Environment Day falls on Saturday this year. China's theme is harmonious coexistence between people and nature.

Under the theme, China aims to improve the awareness of protecting biodiversity and build a beautiful home where people and nature can coexist in harmony.

Chinese President Xi Jinping has, on many occasions, spoken of the relationship between people and nature, and called for efforts to protect nature and preserve the environment. The following are some highlights of his quotes.

-- Man and nature form a community of life; we, as human beings, must respect nature, follow its ways, and protect it.

-- We only have one Earth. Protecting ecological environment and pushing sustainable development are our joint obligations.

-- A sound ecological environment is the basic foundation for the sustainable development of humanity and society.

-- The development model of "killing the hens for eggs" and "draining the lake for fish" is at a dead end. The future will be illuminated by eco-friendly development that is in accordance with the rules of nature.

-- Recognizing that "our solutions are in Nature," we could strive to find development opportunities while preserving Nature, and achieve win-win in both ecological conservation and high-quality development.

-- We shall protect ecosystems as preciously as we protect our eyes, and cherish them as dearly as we cherish our lives.

-- The history of civilizations shows that the rise or fall of a civilization is closely tied to the quality of the ecological environment.

-- Only together can we effectively address climate change, marine pollution, biological conservation and other global environmental issues and achieve the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.