Some Gains from Learning Xi Jinping
Thought on Ecological Civilization
Geping Qu
Since the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China (CPC) incorporated the development of ecological civilization into the Five-Sphere Integrated
Plan, I have been pleased with the decision of the CPC Central Committee on significantly improving the status and role of environmental protection. This is exactly
the great situation that comrades in environmental protection departments have been
looking forward to for many years. The 19th National Congress of the CPC has set
a beautiful China as an essential goal for building a strong modern socialist country.
From the perspective of the Five-Sphere Integrated Plan covering material, political,
cultural, social, and ecological domains, that also means a modern socialist power
is not only “prosperous, democratic, civilized and harmonious” but also “beautiful,”
highlighting the holistic and synergistic nature of development. The decision has
also made the socialist modernization with Chinese characteristics more distinct and
the features of a new era more prominent. At the First Session of the 13th National
People’s Congress, ecological civilization was written into the Constitution. It was
also decided to establish the Ministry of Ecology and Environment, indicating that we
have elevated the ecological civilization to the national will through the Constitution
and provided organizational guarantee for its development. Since 2016, the central
environmental protection inspection team has been inspecting the environmental
work across China with unprecedented and productive practices and efforts.
These events have pleasantly surprised and heartened me. It is visible to me that
China has not only found a Chinese-style way to protect the environment but also
effectively combined environmental protection with economic, social and cultural
development, as well as material, political, intellectual and social fields.
It is a revolutionary change in China’s environmental protection from the traditional one based on pollution control to the one focusing on the development of
ecological civilization. The significance of this change cannot be overestimated.
G. Qu (B)
China Environmental Protection Foundation, Beijing, China
© China Environment Publishing Group Co., Ltd. 2021
J. Pan et al. (eds.), Beautiful China: 70 Years Since 1949 and 70 People’s Views
on Eco-civilization Construction, https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-33-6742-5_11
129
Thought on Ecological Civilization
Geping Qu
Since the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China (CPC) incorporated the development of ecological civilization into the Five-Sphere Integrated
Plan, I have been pleased with the decision of the CPC Central Committee on significantly improving the status and role of environmental protection. This is exactly
the great situation that comrades in environmental protection departments have been
looking forward to for many years. The 19th National Congress of the CPC has set
a beautiful China as an essential goal for building a strong modern socialist country.
From the perspective of the Five-Sphere Integrated Plan covering material, political,
cultural, social, and ecological domains, that also means a modern socialist power
is not only “prosperous, democratic, civilized and harmonious” but also “beautiful,”
highlighting the holistic and synergistic nature of development. The decision has
also made the socialist modernization with Chinese characteristics more distinct and
the features of a new era more prominent. At the First Session of the 13th National
People’s Congress, ecological civilization was written into the Constitution. It was
also decided to establish the Ministry of Ecology and Environment, indicating that we
have elevated the ecological civilization to the national will through the Constitution
and provided organizational guarantee for its development. Since 2016, the central
environmental protection inspection team has been inspecting the environmental
work across China with unprecedented and productive practices and efforts.
These events have pleasantly surprised and heartened me. It is visible to me that
China has not only found a Chinese-style way to protect the environment but also
effectively combined environmental protection with economic, social and cultural
development, as well as material, political, intellectual and social fields.
It is a revolutionary change in China’s environmental protection from the traditional one based on pollution control to the one focusing on the development of
ecological civilization. The significance of this change cannot be overestimated.
G. Qu (B)
China Environmental Protection Foundation, Beijing, China
© China Environment Publishing Group Co., Ltd. 2021
J. Pan et al. (eds.), Beautiful China: 70 Years Since 1949 and 70 People’s Views
on Eco-civilization Construction, https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-33-6742-5_11
129