The Green Modernisation for a Beautiful China, World

In 1972, the United Nations designated June 5 as World Environment Day to foster environmental awareness and prompt action. China, the secondlargest economy in the world, has celebrated the annual event with solid steps in environmental protection.

Among the latest steps, the country’s first specialized law on wetland protection came into force on Wednesday. Earlier this week, an action plan was unveiled to further boost what has already emerged as the world’s largest installed wind and solar power capacity in the coming years.

As President Xi Jinping said, China has made “historic, transformative and comprehensive” ecological progress over the past decade. The country is embarking on a journey to a green, beautiful and sustainable future, not only for itself but shared by all human beings.

Beautiful China

With frequent smoggy days, serious pollution from factories, and black and smelly rivers, China, while enjoying high economic growth, had suffered from a worsening environment.

In 2012, the country contributed 11.5 per cent of the global economy but had its energy consumption per unit of gross domestic product (GDP), or energy intensity, 2.5 times the world average.

If the economy develops at the price of the environment -- no safe food, clean water, fresh air and habitable environment -- then such modernization is not what people would desire, Xi said.

Putting ecological protection high on his agenda, the president led China’s arduous efforts to turn the tide.

Tough battles were fought to rein in pollution of air, water and soil, and hard efforts were made to restore eco-systems from mountains to rivers.

The “strictest” environmental protection law took effect, and central authorities’ inspections on local environmental protection work were launched on a regular basis. Ecological advancement was incorporated into the Constitution in 2018.

Time and again, Xi made field trips, chaired key meetings, and gave important instructions on environmental protection, with his words still inspiring and resonating.

Photo: Xinhua Volunteers collect wastes at a park in Congtai District of Handan, north China’s Hebei Province, June 4, 2022. Various events are held to raise people’s awareness of environmental protection in China ahead of the World Environment Day, which falls on June 5.

Photo: Xinhua Photo taken on July 6, 2019 shows a production line at a subsidiary of Beijing Electric Vehicle Co., Ltd. (BJEV), a new energy vehicle producer, in Huanghua city of Cangzhou, north China’s Hebei Province.