Tag: InternationalNews

Qu was a loyal statesman and a patriotic poet in Chu, a major state in the Warring States Period (475 B.C.-221 B.C.). He was unjustly exiled by the king of Chu, who disregarded Qu’s policy advice. Heartbroken by the news of rivaling forces seizing Chu’s capital, Qu eventually chose to end his life, by plunging himself into the river of Miluo clutching a heavy stone.

Hearing Qu’s tragic death, local people rushed to boats to search for his body. Over time, this practice evolved into a millennia-old tradition of dragon boat racing in memory of the poet.

Throughout his lifetime, Qu wrote a great number of poems expressing his love and concern for his country and people. Perhaps his most famous line is “Long as the way is, I will keep on searching high and low,” which embodies the poet’s ceaseless spirit of exploration.

The famous verse has been recited by generations of Chinese people, including President Xi Jinping, who is also general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission.

In 2016, Xi quoted the line in his address at a ceremony marking the 95th founding anniversary of the CPC, calling on all Party members to preserve the Party’s tradition of struggle and have the courage to change and innovate in the continuing test of history.

This is an example of the president’s quoting of Qu’s impassioned verses, which have inspired the entire Party and Chinese people of all ethnic groups to put the ancient poet’s legacy into action and brave challenges through reform and innovation.

The sense of mission and the endeavors to surmount all difficulties for achieving the goal can be seen in various fields.

For example, regarding China’s reform, Xi called on people to “act with courage while moving forward with steady steps,” to push reform forward on the right track.

In the battle against poverty, the Chinese leader led the Party and the people to forge ahead against all odds and manage to lift the remaining 98.99 million rural poor people out of poverty in about eight years.

To tackle the bottlenecks in scientific and technological innovation, Xi called for making breakthroughs in core technologies in key fields. Through a decade of efforts, China ranked 11th overall in the Global Innovation Index 2022, moving up 23 places from its ranking in the 2012 edition of the index.

On the economic front, Xi has led the country in taking the initiative to shift from high-speed to high-quality development. And his exploration of the country’s economic development has paid off. In 2022, China’s per capita GDP was 12,741 U.S. dollars, nearing the level of high-income countries.

“The spirit of Qu Yuan not only exerts a profound influence on China’s past, but also exemplifies great value for the country’s present,” said Zheng Jiaming, a professor at the College of History and Culture at Hunan Normal University. “It is also universal and can last forever.”

Xi also invoked Qu’s words when addressing a global audience. At the CPC and World Political Parties Summit in 2021, he said that with national rejuvenation and the progress of humanity in mind, the CPC will lead all the Chinese to “search high and low” and work with determination to create an even better future for all.

In his letter to Eric Domb, president and founder of the Pairi Daiza Zoo in Belgium, Xi said that the development of China-Belgium relations cannot be achieved without the long-term efforts and selfless dedication of friendly personages from all walks of life in both countries.

He voiced confidence that Domb and other friendly personages will continue to sow the seeds of friendship, attract more people, not least those of the younger generation, to actively participate in the cause of friendship so as to make new contributions to advancing China-Belgium and China-Europe relations.

China’s commitment to a high-quality development path that prioritizes ecological conservation and features a green and low-carbon mode will provide more opportunities for the world and make greater contribution to human progress, Xi said.

At present, China is actively promoting Chinese modernization that features harmonious coexistence between man and nature and carrying out major biodiversity conservation projects, he said.

A large number of endangered species have been under effective protection with giant pandas thereby having been downgraded from endangered species to vulnerable ones, he added.

In a letter Domb has lately written to Xi, he recalled that Xi and his wife, Peng Liyuan, attended the opening ceremony of the giant panda hall at the Pairi Daiza Zoo during their visit to Belgium in March 2014.

Domb said that the Chinese garden of the zoo epitomizes the concept of harmonious coexistence between man and nature, and that the Chinese Dream as well as China’s development and prosperity will always be opportunities that could be shared by the rest of the world.

Reading Domb’s warm letter, Xi said he recalls the time when he and Belgian King Philippe, along with their spouses, attended the opening ceremony of the giant panda hall at the Pairi Daiza zoo during the visit to Belgium in 2014.

He is glad to learn that the purple magnolia planted in the zoo at that time has blossomed and the two giant pandas, as China’s “friendship envoys,” are also growing up, Xi added.

Xi made the remarks in reply to a letter from Eric Domb, president and founder of the Pairi Daiza Zoo in Belgium.

At present, China is actively promoting Chinese modernization that features harmonious coexistence between man and nature and carrying out major biodiversity conservation projects, he said.

A large number of endangered species have been under effective protection with giant pandas thereby having been downgraded from endangered species to vulnerable ones, he added.

In a letter Domb has lately written to Xi, he recalled that Xi and his wife, Peng Liyuan, attended the opening ceremony of the giant panda hall at the Pairi Daiza Zoo during their visit to Belgium in March 2014.

Domb said that the Chinese garden of the zoo epitomizes the concept of harmonious coexistence between man and nature, and that the Chinese Dream as well as China’s development and prosperity will always be opportunities that could be shared by the rest of the world.

What Chinese President Xi Jinping wrote in his congratulatory letter to the Forum on Global Human Rights Governance that opened in Beijing on Wednesday spoke again of the importance China has attached to the global human rights cause.

For decades, China has been committed to raising the well-being of its people while improving global human rights governance, both of which are highly acclaimed by the international community.

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Villagers of Daliang Mountain in Sichuan Province, southwestern China, endured a life of poverty six years ago, grappling with an unstable power supply and a lack of essential electrical appliances.

But things have changed. Now the road to the village has been rebuilt, and impoverished villagers have been relocated to newly built houses equipped with electric cookers and washing machines.

“It is such a tremendous change. I would never have dreamed of it,” rejoiced Boli Muqie, a villager in the mountainous area.

The breathtaking transformation is possible because of China’s poverty alleviation work, which eliminated absolute poverty by February 2021. It has lifted more than 700 million of its people out of poverty over the past 40-plus years of reform and opening up, significantly contributing to the cause of human rights worldwide.

Apart from that, China has established the world’s largest systems of education, social security and healthcare, ensuring that its population’s basic needs are met. It also promoted equal rights and special protection for specific groups, including ethnic minorities, women, children, the elderly and people with disabilities.

One of the best examples can be found in northwestern China’s Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, where ethnic groups have adequate access to education, healthcare and cultural events.

Rural schools here, refurbished and with improved teaching, have helped many students gain admission to higher education, said Sanam Ibrayim, a teacher at a rural school in Xinjiang.

In the eyes of many, China’s people-centered advancement is a significant human rights feat, setting a new benchmark.

Former Prime Minister of Guyana Moses Nagamootoo said China’s concept of people-centered human rights could be illuminating to other countries.

Leonardo Santos Simao, former foreign minister of Mozambique, said China has ensured its people’s political, economic, social and cultural rights during its development.

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“Thanks to a good production in rice obtained due to a training session on varieties of Chinese rice in general and hybrid rice in particular, members of our cooperative are enjoying socially and economically,” said Emmanuel Nizigiyimana, a Burundian in his 30s.

Nizigiyimana, chairman of a cooperative based in Burundi’s Bubanza Province, was one of the students receiving training in rice farming under the leadership of a Chinese rice farming expert named Yang Huade.

The production that was less than four tonnes with the local rice variety per hectare has now been increased to nine to 10 tonnes per hectare with the Chinese rice, Nizigiyimana said. “The Chinese rice varieties are also resistant to diseases contrary to local varieties.”

The training has provided valuable insight into the impact of China’s initiatives dedicated to protecting and promoting the right to live and develop. These efforts have been instrumental in improving the well-being of people in countries across the globe.

Take the Belt and Road Initiative. Proposed by China in 2013, it has generated nearly 1 trillion U.S. dollars in investment, created some 420,000 jobs worldwide, and helped lift nearly 40 million people out of poverty in a decade. A World Bank report said the initiative could boost trade by 2.8 to 9.7 percent for participating countries and by 1.7 to 6.2 percent for the whole world.

Furthermore, the Global Development Initiative (GDI) put forward by China in September 2021 has gained support from more than 100 countries and several international organizations, including the United Nations. Nearly 70 countries have joined the Group of Friends of the initiative. In April last year, China proposed another initiative, the Global Security Initiative, to promote common security.

China said it would work hard to contribute its wisdom and solutions to the cause of peace and development for all humanity. In this regard, China practices what it preaches, said Keith Bennett, a long-term China specialist and vice chair of Britain’s 48 Group Club.

Bennett said that China can put forward proposals, mechanisms and solutions that have global appeal.

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In early November 2017, the Committee of Disarmament and International Security of the 72nd Session of the UN General Assembly approved two draft resolutions on preventing an arms race in outer space. Both incorporated for the first time the phrase “building a community of shared future for mankind.”

Since then, the vision put forward by China has been written into more UN resolutions and has become an essential component of the global human rights discourse.

Based on this vision, China has cultivated an outlook on human rights with “people” as the center, “development” as the driving force and “a life of contentment” as the goal through continuous progress, enriching the global human rights cause.

China conforms to a people-centered approach, which envisions a “global five-in-one” comprising “politics, security, economy, culture and ecology,” said Maria Francesca Staiano, director of the Center on China Studies of the International Relations Institute of the National University of La Plata.

“They are key points of the UN human rights protections, which are in line with the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and human rights,” she said.

True. To promote common development for advancing universal human rights, China put forward the GDI, advocating action-oriented approaches that address developing countries’ most pressing livelihood needs. It has also called for upholding genuine multilateralism and the basic norms of international relations to promote and protect human rights through dialogue and cooperation.

Meanwhile, recognizing the importance of inclusiveness, China proposed the Global Civilization Initiative in mid-March, urging the international community to respect the diversity of civilizations and the different paths of human rights development.

Saikat Bhattacharya, an assistant professor at New Integrated Public University in India, said building a community with a shared future for humanity champions the equality of countries regardless of their size. It strengthens state-to-state relations and promotes living with dignity.

“The international community needs the contribution of China in global human rights governance,” said Micol Savia, permanent representative of the International Association of Democratic Lawyers to the United Nations in Geneva.

China, a country with long history and culture, is a significant player in international relations, she added.

Jointly hosted by the Information Office of the State Council, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and the China International Development Cooperation Agency, the forum attracted over 300 participants from nearly 100 countries and international organizations, including United Nations (UN) agencies.

In a congratulatory letter to the forum, Chinese President Xi Jinping said that China stands for safeguarding human rights with security, advocates for promoting human rights with development, and stands for advancing human rights with cooperation in the spirit of mutual respect and equality.

Xi’s letter was read out at the forum’s opening ceremony by Li Shulei, a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and head of the Publicity Department of the CPC Central Committee. Li himself delivered a keynote speech.

Addressing the opening ceremony of the forum, Fu Hua, president of Xinhua News Agency, noted that human rights are an achievement of humanity and a symbol of progress. Respect for and protection of human rights is a basic principle of modern civilization, and the unwavering goal of the CPC.

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In his congratulatory letter, Xi said that China is ready to work with the rest of the world to act on the principles enshrined in the Vienna Declaration and Programme of Action, push for greater fairness, justice, reason, and inclusiveness in global human rights governance, and promote the development of a human community with a shared future.

The advancement of global human rights causes can only be realized with the combined efforts of all members of the international society. Many participants have emphasized this point when sharing opinions at the forum.

“We should spare no effort to ensure that the people of the world are the main actor, promoter, and beneficiary of the cause of human rights,” said Saint Cyr Mazangue, commissioner for international cooperation from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Central African Republic. He added that major countries must take responsibility in this regard.

In terms of international human rights cooperation, many participants underlined the role of the UN and its principles regarding human rights.

Liu Xinsheng, a human rights expert with the UN Human Rights Council Advisory Committee, said in his speech that abiding by the purposes and principles of the UN Charter is of paramount importance in global human rights management.

He added that developing countries should be given more support to be involved in global governance and explore paths to promote democracy and the rule of law to advance the healthy development of global human rights governance.

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At the forum, many experts acknowledged China’s outlook on respecting and protecting human rights, noting it can provide new insight into the solution to global human rights challenges.

Robert Lawrence Kuhn, chairman of the Kuhn Foundation, noted in his speech that China’s outlook on human rights is manifested in the manner Chinese people participate in national governance, particularly the whole-process people’s democracy.

The CPC’s call is to expand the orderly political participation of the people, to strengthen the protection of human rights and the rule of law, and to ensure that the people enjoy extensive rights and freedoms in accordance with the law, said Kuhn, adding that enhancing whole-process people’s democracy enhances human rights.

In addition, participants also discussed China’s view on human rights reflected in its diplomacy, particularly in the Global Development Initiative (GDI) and the Global Security Initiative (GSI).

In his speech, renowned Zambian scholar Fredrick Mutesa discussed the relationship between the GDI and the rights to development. He hailed the implementation of the GDI as another vivid example of China’s endeavor to promote the development of a human community with a shared future.

Speaking of the GSI, Crispin Kaheru, Commissioner of the Uganda Human Rights Commission, said it seeks to promote dialogue over confrontation and partnerships over alliances, but, more importantly, it seeks to encourage win-win situations over zero-sum game settlements. “China is not only proposing the way but also sharing its experiences,” he added.

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At the forum, participants also paid attention to the new opportunities and challenges brought by rapidly developing digital technology to global human rights governance.

Shi Anbin, professor of the School of Journalism and Communication of Tsinghua University, noted in the critical period of digital governance, countries in the Global South should continue the South-South cooperation, deepen international technological exchanges and cooperation, and stimulate internal innovations.

Besides posing challenges, digital technology also empowered countries to advance human rights in many aspects. Maria Francesca Staiano, a coordinator with the China Research Center of the School of Law and Social Sciences of Argentina’s La Plata National University, introduced in her speech how Argentina utilized digital technology to improve education for the people and alleviate poverty.

She expressed hope that China will engage in increasing cooperation with countries in Latin America and the Caribbean in fields including digital technology to make new contributions to the UN Sustainable Development Goal.

At a time of severe challenges facing the global human rights governance, China stands for safeguarding human rights with security, respecting the sovereignty and territorial integrity of all countries, calling on all countries to follow the path of peaceful development, and putting into action the Global Security Initiative, Xi noted in the letter.

China advocates for promoting human rights with development, putting into action the Global Development Initiative, and ensuring fair entitlement to human rights by people of all countries through modernization paths with their own characteristics, Xi said.

China stands for advancing human rights with cooperation in the spirit of mutual respect and equality, putting into action the Global Civilization Initiative, and deepening exchanges and mutual learning among civilizations, he added.

Putting the people above all else, China has pursued a human rights development path that follows the trend of the times and suits its national conditions, strengthening human rights protection in the course of advancing Chinese modernization, Xi stressed.

China is ready to work with the rest of the world to act on the principles enshrined in the Vienna Declaration and Programme of Action, push for greater fairness, justice, reason, and inclusiveness in global human rights governance, and promote the development of a human community with a shared future, he said.

Jointly hosted by the Information Office of the State Council, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the China International Development Cooperation Agency, the forum is themed “Equality, Cooperation and Development: The 30th Anniversary of the Vienna Declaration and Programme of Action and Global Human Rights Governance.” It opened in Beijing on Wednesday.

Wang hails from Wuyuan County in the city of Bayannur. Situated at the northernmost end of the Yellow River, Wuyuan is home to 1.23 million mu (82,000 hectares) of saline-alkali fields, accounting for over half of its total arable land.

“There was nothing we could do but to leave the land lying wasted in the past,” Wang recalled. “Thanks to soil improvement techniques and irrigation technologies, the land is now able to support the growth of multiple crops such as sunflowers and corn. And our wallets have been fattened.”

Xi Jinping, general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, made an inspection tour from Monday to Tuesday in Wang’s hometown Bayannur.

At a modern agricultural demonstration park, Xi, also Chinese president and chairman of the Central Military Commission, watched displays of soil and seed samples and commended local practices of putting idled saline-alkali lands and desertified lands into good use, as well as advancing scientific irrigation methods and promoting modern agriculture.

In fact, this is not the first time Xi has focused his attention on saline-alkali land.

Less than one month ago, Xi arrived in Cangzhou City, north China’s Hebei Province. On a plot of saline-alkali wheat land, he learned about how saline-alkali land has been harnessed, how wheat is planted in saline-alkali land and how the agriculture there has been industrialized.

He stressed the need to prioritize the comprehensive use of saline-alkali land, leverage the key role of scientific and technological innovation, expand the cultivation area of suitable crops and develop the intensive processing of farm products.

In October 2021, when visiting the Agricultural High-tech Industrial Demonstration Area of the Yellow River Delta during an inspection tour in east China’s Shandong Province, Xi said the comprehensive use of saline-alkali soil is of strategic importance to national food security.

Saline and alkaline soil is notoriously difficult to farm, producing low crop yields. China has about 1.5 billion mu of saline-alkali land, of which around 500 million mu is available for utilization.

To restore and harness these lands, localities across the country have been dedicating themselves to working out innovative solutions with respect to soil, fertilizer, irrigation and seedlings.

Like many other farmers, Wang Chenglin benefited from a saline-alkali soil restoration project launched by Inner Mongolia from 2020 to 2022. It was aimed at turning 122,000 mu of saline-alkali fields into arable land in six banners and counties.

Through measures such as leveling soil and building underground pipes to drain salt, the overall soil salinity has been reduced and crop yields have increased by around 25 percent during the period, according to the regional agriculture and animal husbandry department.

Scientists and technicians are also screening and nurturing crop seeds that can withstand saline-alkali stress. In the Agricultural High-tech Industrial Demonstration Area of the Yellow River Delta which Xi visited in 2021, wheat crops labeled “Jimai60” registered a record yield of 460.98 kilograms per mu on average in the summer harvest of 2022 in a field with high salinity and alkalinity.

The progress was made possible by both technical breakthroughs in seed breeding and the utilization of saline-alkali tolerant germplasm resources. Several research institutes have collected and stored a total of 21,000 germplasm resources with such properties in the demonstration area.

Xi, also Chinese president and chairman of the Central Military Commission, made the remarks during an inspection tour from Monday to Tuesday in the city of Bayannur, north China’s Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region.

The Wuliangsu Lake is the largest lake wetland in the Yellow River basin and a natural environmental shield for reining in the sources of sandstorms affecting Beijing and Tianjin. During his visit to the lake on Monday afternoon, Xi called for concerted efforts to treat and protect it by pursuing the clear path ahead to bestow on the offspring a beautiful homeland of lush mountains, lucid waters, and fresh air.

At a modern agriculture demonstration park on the south bank of the Wuliangsu Lake, Xi watched displays of soil and seed samples and commended local practices of putting idled saline-alkali lands and desertified lands into good use, as well as advancing scientific irrigation methods and promoting modern agriculture.

Going into the fields, Xi carefully checked on the growth of wheat and pepper and inquired agricultural technicians about the status of building high-standard farmland.

He noted that the demonstration park should make tangible contributions to fostering modern agriculture. Through constant exploration, it should find the most suitable breeds, technologies, and cultivation methods, drive down costs, and improve efficiency to form replicable practices for other regions.

On Tuesday morning, Xi visited a state forestry area in Linhe District to learn about progress in the Three-North Shelterbelt Forest Program (TSFP). Xi stressed the need to prevent and control desertification for the survival and development of humanity. He warned of regression risks at the slightest lapse of attention as if pushing a boulder uphill.

The ecological systems in northeast China, north China, and northwest China are fragile, making the fight against desertification a long-standing task, said Xi, urging such efforts to persist in the state forestry area in Linhe.

At an information-powered monitoring center in the Hetao irrigation area, one of China’s three largest irrigation areas, Xi appreciated the tremendous efforts put into the irrigation project that has lasted over two thousand years, calling them worthwhile.

On Tuesday afternoon, Xi presided over a symposium in the city of Bayannur on strengthening the comprehensive prevention and control of desertification and promoting the construction of crucial ecological projects, including the TSFP.

After over 40 years of unremitting efforts, China has made remarkable achievements in preventing and controlling desertification, and realized a historic transformation from “sand forcing humans to retreat” to “trees forcing sand to retreat” in key areas, Xi said during a speech at the symposium.

The economic and social development, as well as the ecological outlook of desertification areas, have undergone earth-shaking changes, Xi said, adding that the hazards of sandstorms and soil erosion have been effectively curbed.

Xi said cadres should understand the long-term, arduous, repetitive, and uncertain nature of preventing and controlling desertification, strengthening political stand, and enhancing the sense of mission and urgency.

He said the period from 2021 to 2030 is the construction period of the TSFP’s sixth phase, which is significant for consolidating and expanding the achievements of desertification prevention and control.

Xi urged the country to use a decade to build the TSFP into a fully functional and unbreakable green Great Wall and ecological security barrier in northern China.

China should apply systems-thinking and adopt a holistic approach to improving its ecosystems by promoting the integrated conservation and restoration of mountains, waters, forests, farmlands, lakes, grasslands, and deserts, Xi said.

Xi urged fighting the battle against desertification in three key areas. For Mu Us Desert, Kubuqi Desert, and Helan Mountain, efforts will be made to restore rivers, lakes, wetlands, and grasslands to enhance the region’s capability in sand prevention and headwater protection.

For the sand lands of Horqin and Hunshandake, Xi underscored scientifically launching massive ecological protection and restoration projects.

He also called for efforts to strengthen the restoration of degraded forests and grasslands in areas spanning the Hexi Corridor to the Taklimakan Desert to prevent the spreading of sand sources.

Xi stressed advancing sand control scientifically and comprehensively improving the quality and stability of desert ecosystems.

More should be done to promote international communication and cooperation, such as participating in the global efforts of controlling desertification, supporting sand control in Belt and Road countries, and facilitating policy dialogues and information sharing among different countries, Xi said.

Cai Qi, a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and director of the General Office of the CPC Central Committee, accompanied Xi on the visits and attended the symposium.

The 33-year-old was once an electrical engineer at a local phosphate mine company. Believing the future of his homeland and Kazakhstan lies in clean energy, especially wind energy, he quit the job in 2020 and became a wind power engineering trainee at the Zhanatas wind farm.

“Our Chinese friends have brought equipment, investment, technology and experience to Kazakhstan. They have also cultivated clean energy talents in our country. The wind power projects have created jobs and tax revenues for Zhanatas, bringing the town back to life,” said Abilgaziev, who has been promoted to senior maintenance engineer with an income that more than doubled in three years.

This is one example of China’s efforts to bolster global sustainable development over the years. The world’s second-largest economy has increased its green areas at home and contributed to global sustainable growth.

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For some time, better air quality was widely expected among residents of smog-shrouded north China in winter.

Over the past decade, Chinese President Xi Jinping has led the country in an unswerving fight against pollution, rolling out effective measures, including publishing an action plan on the prevention and control of air pollution and increasing the supply of clean energy.

Air quality is crucial to the people’s sense of happiness, Xi said in a discussion with national legislators from southwest China’s Guizhou Province in 2014.

Today the blue skies are back, and city dwellers are breathing noticeably cleaner air. China’s PM2.5 density fell 57 percent from 2013 to 2022, and its carbon dioxide emissions per unit of GDP declined 34.4 percent. The country’s annual number of days with serious air pollution dropped sharply by 92 percent.

“China will prioritize ecological protection, conserve resources and use them efficiently, and pursue green and low-carbon development,” Xi said at the opening session of the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China last year.

For years, China has placed a high value on ecological conservation, with a commitment to protecting natural resources. As a result of decades of efforts, tangible achievements have emerged in forestation, wetlands and biodiversity protection, bolstering the country’s green credentials.

Take afforestation. The country has created the world’s most extensive planted forest area, doubling its forest coverage rate from 12 percent in the early 1980s to 24.02 percent in 2022.

The country’s afforestation area reached 960 million mu (64 million hectares) over the past decade. A 2019 finding published in Nature Sustainability showed that at least 25 percent of the foliage expansion since the early 2000s globally came from China, based on data from NASA satellites.

Thick forests have also become a substantial source of revenue for locals. Last year, the output value of China’s forestry and grassland industry reached about 1.18 trillion U.S. dollars, while the foreign trade volume of forest products was 191 billion dollars.

Neak Chandarith, director of the Cambodia 21st Century Maritime Silk Road Research Center, hailed China as a green development leader. “The Chinese government sees green development and environmental protection as top priorities as these strategies have been integrated into all of the country’s socio-economic development plans,” he said.

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China should work to achieve greater self-reliance and strength in science and technology, promote industrial transformation and upgrading, advance coordinated urban-rural and regional development, and foster green and low-carbon economic and social development, Xi said when addressing the closing meeting of the first session of the 14th National People’s Congress, the national legislature, in March.

Over the years, China has taken innovation-driven development as a driving force for economic development, helping its economy switch to green and high-quality growth.

The country is now the world’s largest producer of clean energy equipment. In 2021, the output value of the energy conservation and environmental protection industry exceeded 1.13 trillion dollars.

China’s export of three tech-intensive green products, namely solar batteries, lithium-ion batteries and electric vehicles, registered a 66.9 percent increase in the first quarter of this year, official data showed. Together they contributed 2 percentage points to the overall export growth, up from 1.7 percentage points for 2022.

“China’s foreign trade growth in Q1 is mainly buoyed by new energy-related exports,” said Zhou Maohua, an analyst with the China Everbright Bank.

According to the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers, China’s new energy vehicle (NEV) sales nearly doubled to 6.89 million units in 2022, accounting for over a quarter of the total automobile sales in the world’s largest auto market.

“The speed of growth here is much faster than in other regions of the world,” said Oliver Blume, chairman of the Board of Management of Volkswagen AG, adding that with its high level of innovation, China is a vital pacesetter for the entire automotive industry.

In August last year, China revealed a plan for fulfilling its “dual carbon” goal of peaking carbon dioxide emissions by 2030 and achieving carbon neutrality by 2060 through technology.

China has been pursuing green development by scientific means, addressing all challenges through science, technological innovation and creativity, said Benjamin Anyagre, general secretary of the Ghana-China Friendship Association, adding that China’s commitment to green development would positively impact the world’s efforts to combat climate change.

This is echoed by Peter Bakker, president and CEO of the World Business Council for Sustainable Development, who said that Chinese businesses, with their enormous implementation power and creativity in areas like batteries, electric vehicles and solar power, are expected to decarbonize the world significantly.

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“We should pursue the new vision of green development and a way of life and work that is green, low-carbon, circular and sustainable,” Xi said at the opening ceremony of the Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation in May 2017. “We propose the establishment of an international coalition for green development on the Belt and Road, and we will provide support to related countries in adapting to climate change.”

China has walked its talk by sharing its green development philosophy globally, helping countries sustain green growth.

“Chinese involvement in Ethiopia’s renewable energy sector is visible. They are increasingly involved in both hydro and wind power projects,” said Moges Mekonnen, communications director at Ethiopian Electric Power, noting that the cooperation projects help Ethiopia tap into its rich renewable energy potential.

The Aysha Wind Farm, the first wind power project in the Somali region presently under the construction of China’s Dongfang Electric Corporation, is expected to provide power to Ethiopia’s mega-development projects, such as the Addis Ababa-Djibouti railway and Dire Dawa Industrial Park, and ensure a stable and sufficient power supply for the Addis Ababa-Djibouti economic corridor.

In the hydropower sector, cooperation with China enabled Ethiopia to realize the 254 MW Genale-Dawa III hydroelectric power station, which has been in safe operation since its launch in the first quarter of 2020.

In Kenya, official figures showed that the installed capacity of solar power is more than 100 MW, while the China-financed Garissa Solar power plant accounts for 50 MW.

Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta said that Garissa Solar, the largest solar plant in East and Central Africa, puts Kenya on the path to achieving green energy sufficiency and adds to his country’s rich profile as the center of green energy generation in Africa.

While promoting green development projects, China also emphasizes maintaining biological diversity. For example, many tunnels were extended, and bridges replaced roads to protect elephant habitats during the building of the China-Laos Railway.

Philip Clayton, president of the Institute for Postmodern Development of China, a U.S. think tank, said China’s contributions to greening the planet and commitments to preserving biological diversity have empowered the international community to pursue environmental reforms and more robust ecological governance.

At the same time, China is also scaling up its multilateral coordination for ecological conservation.

Last year, China’s central city Wuhan hosted the 14th Meeting of the Conference of the Contracting Parties (COP14) to the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands, together with Geneva, Switzerland, which facilitated the adoption of the Global Strategic Framework for Wetland Conservation 2025-2030 that aims to curb wetland degradation.

Also, China held the presidency of COP15, known as the 15th meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity. It led the parties involved to adopt a landmark deal, the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, for reversing biodiversity loss.

David Cooper, acting executive secretary of the Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity, commented that China’s leadership role involves leading and working with parties and stakeholders to ensure an overall commitment to biodiversity.

He said China has achieved a lot in biodiversity conservation during its rapid economic growth, adding that China’s active participation in combating climate change globally has the potential to provide a sound model for developing countries and contribute to consensus-building on global biodiversity conservation.