On the afternoon of June 8, Xi made an inspection tour of Yibin City. The Yangtze River, Jinsha River, and Minjiang River meet in the downtown area of Yibin, which presents a magnificent scene. Built on the riverside, Yibin is known as the first city on the Yangtze River. Years of efforts on environmental improvement have turned the banks of the three rivers into a beautiful waterfront park frequented by local people.

Looking far into the convergence of the three rivers at Sanjiangkou, Xi was briefed about the ecological restoration and protection of the Yangtze River basin and implementation of the fishing ban in the river.

Xi pointed out that protecting the ecological environment of the Yangtze River basin is key to driving high-quality development of the Yangtze River Economic Belt and preserving the region as the cradle of Chinese civilization. Since Sichuan is located in the upper reaches of the Yangtze River, he called for the local government to increase their awareness of the overall picture, develop a strong sense about the protection of the upstream reaches, implement the policy of well-coordinated environmental protection instead of excessive development, and keep the river water clean through sound ecological conservation.