In midsummer, Guiyang is full of greenery and pleasant climate. At the two-day Guiyang International Forum on Ecological Civilization 2023, Chinese and foreign people sought the modernization of harmonious coexistence between man and nature, and discussed the promotion of green and low-carbon development.
Since its successful holding as a national-level international forum for ten years, this forum has become an important window for the world to understand China's ecological civilization construction and an important platform for promoting global ecological civilization construction and sustainable development.
Exterior view of the 2023 Ecological Civilization Guiyang International Forum.
From transforming China's countryside, to assuming the responsibility of a major country, to leading global green development, China is an important participant, contributor and leader in the construction of global ecological civilization. China is working with the rest of the world to build the foundation of ecological civilization, take the road of green development, and build a community of human and natural life.
Explore solutions in China
The mouth is slightly sour, and the aftertaste is sweet. At the Green Product Innovation Exhibition set up by the Guiyang International Forum for Ecological Civilization, many visitors were full of praise for the local specialty prickly pear juice. The sweet and sour taste of these small golden fruits stems from the hard work of Guizhou Province to control rocky desertification over the years.
"There are no trees on the mountain, and the stones are exposed." This is how local people describe this land degradation. Vegetation destruction, bare bedrock, and a desertification-like surface have been called "ecological cancer" by academics. Rocky desertification areas often face severe development problems. Prickly pear has a well-developed root system, relatively hardy, can survive in the stone gap, and conserves water and soil, which has an innate advantage in the control of rocky desertification.
From Liupanshui City and Qiannan Prefecture to Anshun City and Bijie City, with policy support, ordinary people planted prickly pear seedlings in rocky desertification areas, gradually turning the stony desert back into green mountains, and also relying on deep processing of prickly pear to live a good life.
Ibrahim Tior, Executive Secretary of the Secretariat of the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification, concluded after visiting the hinterland of Qianzhong that prickly pear cultivation takes into account ecological and economic benefits, providing a "Guizhou Plan" for rocky desertification control in other countries.
Farmers pick prickly pears in Chaxiang Village, Longli County, Guizhou Province.
"Walking towards a new era of ecological civilization and building a beautiful China is an important part of realizing the Chinese dream of the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation." President Xi Jinping pointed out in his congratulatory letter to the 2013 annual meeting of the Guiyang International Forum on Ecological Civilization.
The clever control of rocky desertification with small prickly pear is an innovative exploration of China's ecological environment governance. In the past, "the land was not three feet flat, and people did not have three points of silver", but now "green water and green mountains are gold and silver mountains", and Guizhou is a bright window to observe China's ecological civilization construction.
The lifeblood of man is in the field, the lifeblood of the field is in the water, the lifeblood of the water is in the mountain, the lifeblood of the mountain is in the soil, and the lifeblood of the soil is in the forest and grass - protecting the ecological environment is protecting the productive forces, improving the ecological environment is developing the productive forces, the key lies in the people, the key lies in the ideas. In the past decade, under the guidance of Xi Jinping Thought on Ecological Civilization, China's ecological environmental protection has undergone historic, turning and overall changes. The environment is people's livelihood, green mountains are beauty, and blue sky is happiness, which has been deeply rooted in the hearts of the people.
At the Guiyang International Forum on Ecological Civilization, Janga Sonshikwa, a member of the South African Communist Youth League, said that he had witnessed how President Xi Jinping's "Two Mountains Theory" took root in Guizhou and "hoped to bring the Chinese government's ecological civilization governance experience back to South Africa."
In his speech at the forum, Taduš Gajewski, chairman of the "Polish Home" Citizens' Association, specially quoted President Xi Jinping's words - "a good ecological environment is the fairest public good and the most inclusive people's livelihood and well-being." In his view, this view is instructive and reflects the importance that Chinese leaders attach to the relationship between people's happiness and the natural environment.
Show great power responsibility
President Xi Jinping sent a congratulatory letter to the 2018 annual meeting of the Guiyang International Forum on Ecological Civilization, pointing out that the construction of ecological civilization is related to the future of mankind, and building a green homeland is the common dream of the people of all countries. The international community needs to strengthen cooperation and work together to build an ecosystem that respects nature and green development and promotes global sustainable development.
From the general debate of the United Nations General Assembly to the Paris Conference on Climate Change, from the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity Leaders' Summit to the World Economic Forum video conference, President Xi Jinping has conveyed China's ideas, put forward Chinese solutions, made Chinese commitments, and forged broad consensus to the world on a series of multilateral stages. "Going all out to promote the construction of ecological civilization" is an inherent requirement of China's high-quality development, and it is also China's solemn commitment to the international community.
Zhejiang's "Thousand Villages Demonstration and Ten Thousand Villages Rectification" completed the transformation of beautiful butterfly in the countryside, the Saihanba sand land changed into a forest and sea, the Cangshan Erhai Sea restored its true color, the Jiuqu Yellow River reappeared as a clear stream, and "rare birds and exotic animals" such as desert cats and brown-necked hornbills naturally appeared... China's ecological civilization construction report card has attracted global attention and won international honors many times.
Strive to achieve carbon peak before 2030 and carbon neutrality before 2060; The scale of artificial afforestation and the scale of renewable energy development and utilization rank first in the world; Take the lead in funding the establishment of the Kunming Biodiversity Fund... China actively participates in global ecological and environmental governance, and demonstrates its responsibility as a major country in addressing climate change, protecting biodiversity, and green transformation.
On December 5, 2017, the United Nations Environment Programme announced that the builders of China's Saihanba Forest Farm won the 2017 United Nations Champions of the Earth Award, the highest environmental honor of the United Nations.
President Xi Jinping's ecological civilization thinking is resonating more and more around the world, and China's ecological civilization construction has also been widely praised for its contribution to global environmental governance.
Economic development cannot be "exhausted" for resources and the ecological environment – Mohammad Ali Mohammed, member of the Central Committee of the Tanzania Revolutionary Party and chairman of the Youth Chair, has firmly memorized this vivid Chinese idiom. He has visited many places in China and has a deep understanding of this. The peach trees on the outskirts of Beijing made him unforgettable at first sight, and he was impressed by the path to rural prosperity of green industries and e-commerce channels.
Turyong Larsen, executive director of the Norwegian Water Research Institute, told reporters that he was proud to participate in the Sino-Norwegian mercury pollution cooperation project. He worked closely with Tsinghua University and the Institute of Geochemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences to find solutions to mercury pollution and develop global countermeasures against mercury pollution. The sincere collaboration with his Chinese colleagues made him feel the "power of international cooperation" in the governance of ecological civilization.
Leading the world
New energy vehicles, photovoltaic panels, green energy storage equipment... At the Green Product Innovation Exhibition of the Guiyang International Forum of Ecological Civilization, these fist products attracted many people to stop and understand. In the eyes of overseas participants, China has led innovation in the field of green and low-carbon in recent years and has achieved remarkable results.
In 2021, President Xi Jinping delivered a written message to the 26th Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) World Leaders Summit, calling for upholding multilateral consensus, focusing on pragmatic actions, and accelerating the green transition. "Driven by scientific and technological innovation, we should promote the transformation and upgrading of energy resources, industrial structure and consumption structure, promote green economic and social development, and explore new paths that coordinate development and protection."
This is the Garissa photovoltaic power station in Kenya.
Eric Solheim, former Under-Secretary-General of the United Nations and Executive Director of UNEP, has visited China many times. According to his observations, Chinese enterprises may become the leading force in the world's energy industry, and then play a positive role in global ecological and environmental governance.
In Garissa County, Kenya, the dense solar panels resemble dark blue "energy islands". Garissa 50 MW photovoltaic power station, the largest photovoltaic power station in East Africa undertaken by Chinese enterprises, has effectively alleviated the local "power shortage". At the same time, it is estimated that this project can save more than 20,000 tons of standard coal and reduce carbon dioxide emissions by more than 60,000 tons per year. According to Kenyan international relations expert Cavince Adehir, China is not only promoting its own "green revolution" in the energy sector, but also Chinese capital, technology and knowledge are helping the African continent accelerate the process of achieving carbon neutrality.
In the Brazilian city of Camasari, just a few days ago, the Chinese car company BYD announced the construction of a large production base complex consisting of three factories, which, in addition to producing electric vehicles, can also process lithium iron phosphate batteries. The plant is expected to start operations in the second half of 2024 and will create more than 5,000 new local jobs. Felipe Porto, a researcher at the Foreign Policy Observatory of Brazil's ABC Federal University, believes that China is becoming an important partner to help Brazil decarbonize and meet its energy needs.
A view of Hongjiang Village, Qiannan Buyi and Miao Autonomous Prefecture, Guizhou Province.
People do not live up to the green mountain, and the green mountain will not live up to the people. Ecological civilization is the historical trend of the development of human civilization. Promoting harmonious coexistence between man and nature is the common responsibility of all mankind. China is willing to work hand in hand with other countries in the world to seek a way for harmonious coexistence between man and nature, and jointly promote the construction of global ecological civilization to a new level.
Director system: Yuan Bingzhong
Planner: Ni Siyi, Ban Wei, Zhao Xinbing
Executive producers: Feng Junyang, Xue Ying, Han Mo, Wang Li
Coordinators: Yan Junyan, Liu Chang, Hu Xing, Ou Dongqu, Sun Hao
Reporters: Zhang Yuan, Zhang Dailei, Guo Yuqi, Wu Si, Zhou Xuanni, Liu Qinbing, Yang Yanbin, Zhao Yan, Chen Weihua, Xie Jiang, Li Hualing
Editors: Zhao Yan, Sun Hao, Wang Yachen, Cheng Dayu, Shen Haoyang, Ding Ying, Liu Pinran
Photography: Yang Wenbin, Pan Xilai, Wang Xiao, Xie Han, Xiao Wei
Co-produced by the International Department of Xinhua News Agency and the Guizhou Branch