440
Y. Wang
Xianjing, “economic sustainability holds the key to the sustainable development
strategy. Natural sustainability is achieved through sustainable economic operation,
and a sustainable nature provides the material foundation for sustainable economic
development, which is the only way to ensure sustainable social development.” Wang
Nuo mentioned that when they studied the concept of sustainable development, some
expert proposed to define it as “limited development that doesn’t exceed the environmental carrying capacity,” which was not accepted, indicating that the concept
may become utilitarian or misleading if not understood correctly.
Although ecological progress starts with environmental protection, it is elevated
to the height of civilization, thus standing on a higher level than sustainable development when it comes to the handling of the man-nature relation. Civilization prospers
when ecological prospers. Building ecological civilization concerns the country’s
future, the people’s well-being, and the Chinese nation’s lasting development. The
importance of environment was never uplifted to this height when we were studying
sustainable development. That ecological progress is merged with the other four
spheres of development underscores the fact that this is a comprehensive and important campaign that cannot be summarized as environmental protection, but can only
be achieved through the participation of the whole people and whole society and the
concerted efforts of all sectors. The saying that “lucid waters and lush mountains are
invaluable assets” reveals the dialectical relationship between economic development
and environmental protection—protecting the environment is protecting productive
force, and improving the environment is developing productive force. Regarding
the relation between ecological progress and social development, a good ecological
environment is the fairest public product, and the most accessible welfare for the
people. Environment is an aspect of livelihood, lush mountains create beauty, and
blue sky is an element of happiness—they can make people truly feel the superiority
of socialist system and the environmental benefits of economic development, giving
them a solid sense of gain. Regarding the relation between ecological progress and
political development, the most rigorous rules and laws have been adopted to protect
the environment. China has established a complete system of ecological civilization
featuring clear ownership, multiple participants and equal emphasis on incentive
and restraint, with a view to clearing the systematic and institutional obstacles to
the development of ecological civilization. As to the relation between ecological
progress and cultural development, it is a revolution involving the way of production, way of life, way of thinking and values. It is necessary to intensify the publicity
of and education in ecological civilization, enhance the public environmental awareness, push to form a healthy lifestyle and consumption mode that advocates thrift,
moderation, and green and low-carbon ways, and foster a favorable atmosphere in
the whole society.
The series of insightful remarks and statements made by General Secretary Xi
Jinping on ecological civilization demonstrate that this vision advocated by China as
a developing country is a guiding thought and strategy that’s more comprehensive,
more incisive and more suited for China’s national conditions when guiding us to
deal with the man-nature relation in the process of development. This vision should
be promoted in the whole world. More importantly, it offers the Chinese wisdom
Y. Wang
Xianjing, “economic sustainability holds the key to the sustainable development
strategy. Natural sustainability is achieved through sustainable economic operation,
and a sustainable nature provides the material foundation for sustainable economic
development, which is the only way to ensure sustainable social development.” Wang
Nuo mentioned that when they studied the concept of sustainable development, some
expert proposed to define it as “limited development that doesn’t exceed the environmental carrying capacity,” which was not accepted, indicating that the concept
may become utilitarian or misleading if not understood correctly.
Although ecological progress starts with environmental protection, it is elevated
to the height of civilization, thus standing on a higher level than sustainable development when it comes to the handling of the man-nature relation. Civilization prospers
when ecological prospers. Building ecological civilization concerns the country’s
future, the people’s well-being, and the Chinese nation’s lasting development. The
importance of environment was never uplifted to this height when we were studying
sustainable development. That ecological progress is merged with the other four
spheres of development underscores the fact that this is a comprehensive and important campaign that cannot be summarized as environmental protection, but can only
be achieved through the participation of the whole people and whole society and the
concerted efforts of all sectors. The saying that “lucid waters and lush mountains are
invaluable assets” reveals the dialectical relationship between economic development
and environmental protection—protecting the environment is protecting productive
force, and improving the environment is developing productive force. Regarding
the relation between ecological progress and social development, a good ecological
environment is the fairest public product, and the most accessible welfare for the
people. Environment is an aspect of livelihood, lush mountains create beauty, and
blue sky is an element of happiness—they can make people truly feel the superiority
of socialist system and the environmental benefits of economic development, giving
them a solid sense of gain. Regarding the relation between ecological progress and
political development, the most rigorous rules and laws have been adopted to protect
the environment. China has established a complete system of ecological civilization
featuring clear ownership, multiple participants and equal emphasis on incentive
and restraint, with a view to clearing the systematic and institutional obstacles to
the development of ecological civilization. As to the relation between ecological
progress and cultural development, it is a revolution involving the way of production, way of life, way of thinking and values. It is necessary to intensify the publicity
of and education in ecological civilization, enhance the public environmental awareness, push to form a healthy lifestyle and consumption mode that advocates thrift,
moderation, and green and low-carbon ways, and foster a favorable atmosphere in
the whole society.
The series of insightful remarks and statements made by General Secretary Xi
Jinping on ecological civilization demonstrate that this vision advocated by China as
a developing country is a guiding thought and strategy that’s more comprehensive,
more incisive and more suited for China’s national conditions when guiding us to
deal with the man-nature relation in the process of development. This vision should
be promoted in the whole world. More importantly, it offers the Chinese wisdom