Foreword II
xv
the new era and attach importance to theoretical and strategic perspectives of the
systems.
First, we need to consider the development of discipline and academic systems. We
should promote the development of disciplines, theories, and concepts of philosophy
and social sciences and introduce new concepts, new paradigms, and new expressions
concerning socialism with Chinese characteristics that are easy to understand and
accept by the international community for best practices and theoretical innovations.
It is necessary to focus on issues of concern to the international community, actively
participate in the initiation and formulation of international rules, standards, and laws,
enhance China’s international influence, and increase China’s involvement in international rule-making. Despite the overall improvement of the environment in Western
Europe, North America, and Japan, which are the first group of countries and regions
to achieve industrialization, China now deeply understands the urgency of building
a community with a shared future for mankind. It should be noted that industrial
civilization will still in its heyday in the foreseeable future, and developed countries
in the West will still occupy dominant positions in fields relating to ecological technology, ecological industry, environmental protection, and sustainable development.
Figuring out how to build an ecological civilization-related discourse system with
Chinese characteristics and how to promote the ecological civilization concept and
model in parallel with the global action to build a community with a shared future for
mankind is the mission and responsibility of the ecological civilization think tank. It
is necessary to strengthen the study of academic, discourse, methodology, industry,
and environmental governance systems concerning ecological civilization.
Second, we should strengthen strategic, forward-looking, realistic, and countermeasure research. The Chinese government has set several related goals for the
near future. One of the goals is to build a moderately prosperous society in an allround way by 2022. What should the ecological civilization be like? What are the
challenges? Will there be opportunities? Another important goal is the Fourteenth
Five-Year Plan for Economic and Social Development (2021–2025). What are the
major problems and challenges faced by China in the development of ecological
civilization during 2012–2025? It should be noted that the more we have achieved,
the more types of challenges and the more difficulties we will encounter. The 19th
National Congress of the CPC has established another two important goals. One is to
achieve basic modernization in 2035, and the other is to achieve the second centenary
goal—the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation—and build a prosperous, strong,
democratic, civilized, beautiful, harmonious modern socialist country by 2050. It is
necessary to plan ahead for challenges, develop strategies, and set measurable goals
concerning the development of ecological civilization before 2035 and 2050. Some
forward-looking and strategic studies should be carried out to identify opportunities
and challenges for green development before 2020, 2035, 2050, and other major
strategic time points, and some strategic measures should be adopted to seize the
opportunities and address the challenges.
Third, we should expand global horizons and jointly build a global ecological
civilization. As repeatedly pointed out by General Secretary Xi Jinping, China is an
increasingly important participant, contributor, and leader in the development of a
xv
the new era and attach importance to theoretical and strategic perspectives of the
systems.
First, we need to consider the development of discipline and academic systems. We
should promote the development of disciplines, theories, and concepts of philosophy
and social sciences and introduce new concepts, new paradigms, and new expressions
concerning socialism with Chinese characteristics that are easy to understand and
accept by the international community for best practices and theoretical innovations.
It is necessary to focus on issues of concern to the international community, actively
participate in the initiation and formulation of international rules, standards, and laws,
enhance China’s international influence, and increase China’s involvement in international rule-making. Despite the overall improvement of the environment in Western
Europe, North America, and Japan, which are the first group of countries and regions
to achieve industrialization, China now deeply understands the urgency of building
a community with a shared future for mankind. It should be noted that industrial
civilization will still in its heyday in the foreseeable future, and developed countries
in the West will still occupy dominant positions in fields relating to ecological technology, ecological industry, environmental protection, and sustainable development.
Figuring out how to build an ecological civilization-related discourse system with
Chinese characteristics and how to promote the ecological civilization concept and
model in parallel with the global action to build a community with a shared future for
mankind is the mission and responsibility of the ecological civilization think tank. It
is necessary to strengthen the study of academic, discourse, methodology, industry,
and environmental governance systems concerning ecological civilization.
Second, we should strengthen strategic, forward-looking, realistic, and countermeasure research. The Chinese government has set several related goals for the
near future. One of the goals is to build a moderately prosperous society in an allround way by 2022. What should the ecological civilization be like? What are the
challenges? Will there be opportunities? Another important goal is the Fourteenth
Five-Year Plan for Economic and Social Development (2021–2025). What are the
major problems and challenges faced by China in the development of ecological
civilization during 2012–2025? It should be noted that the more we have achieved,
the more types of challenges and the more difficulties we will encounter. The 19th
National Congress of the CPC has established another two important goals. One is to
achieve basic modernization in 2035, and the other is to achieve the second centenary
goal—the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation—and build a prosperous, strong,
democratic, civilized, beautiful, harmonious modern socialist country by 2050. It is
necessary to plan ahead for challenges, develop strategies, and set measurable goals
concerning the development of ecological civilization before 2035 and 2050. Some
forward-looking and strategic studies should be carried out to identify opportunities
and challenges for green development before 2020, 2035, 2050, and other major
strategic time points, and some strategic measures should be adopted to seize the
opportunities and address the challenges.
Third, we should expand global horizons and jointly build a global ecological
civilization. As repeatedly pointed out by General Secretary Xi Jinping, China is an
increasingly important participant, contributor, and leader in the development of a