Ecological Civilization—The Chinese Path
525
generations to come. We should have a strong commitment to socialist ecological
civilization and work to develop a new model of modernization with humans developing in harmony with nature.” The CPC’s thought on ecological progress consists
of four essential parts – the Five-Sphere Integrated Plan, the basic policy of mannature harmony, the new green development concept, and the tough battle of pollution
prevention and control. He stressed, “the ‘four parts’ reflect the CPC’s grip on ecological progress, the position of ecological progress in the Party’s and nation’s cause in
the new era, and the Party’s deployments and requirements to achieve that goal.”
In May 2018, General Secretary Xi Jinping expounded important views of socialist
ecological civilization at the National Conference on Eco-environmental Protection.
“We must consciously coordinate economic and social development with ecological progress. To succeed in this endeavor in the new era, we must adhere to the
following principles. First, we must pursue harmonious co-existence between man
and nature, and prioritize conservation, protection and the restoration of nature. We
should protect the eco-environment as we protect our eyes, and cherish it as we
cherish our own lives, so that the beautiful nature and ecology will last forever in
serenity and harmony. Second, lucid waters and lush mountains are invaluable assets.
We must implement the vision of innovative, coordinated, green, open and shared
development, and accelerate the formation of spatial configurations, industrial structures, production models and lifestyles that favor resource conservation and environmental protection, so as to leave time and space for nature to recuperate. Third,
a good ecological environment is the fairest public product, and the most accessible
welfare for the people. We must pursue environmental benefits for the people with
the emphasis on solving prominent problems that threaten their health, and meet their
growing expectation for a beautiful environment. Fourth, mountains, rivers, forests,
farmlands, lakes and grasslands are a community of life. We must make an overall
plan that takes all relevant factors into consideration, and adopt multiple measures
simultaneously to advance ecological progress in all respects. Fifth, we should protect
the eco-environment with the strictest regulations and laws. We must speed up institutional innovation, strengthen implementation, and make regulations mandatory, so
that they become a powerful deterrent. Sixth, we should work together to promote
a global ecological civilization, be heavily involved in global environmental governance, help form global solutions to environmental protection and sustainable development, and play a constructive role in international cooperation on climate change.”
These are basic view of socialist ecological civilization.
The socialist ecological civilization is a scientific outlook on history. In the history
of human thoughts, socialist thoughts have gone through several periods—from
Utopian socialism in the 16th and seventeenth century to democratic socialism and
Marx’s scientific socialism in the nineteenth century, and to the current socialist
outlook on ecological civilization. The latest one is a new socialist thought, the Xi
Jinping Thought on Ecological Civilization.
We will follow the Xi Jinping Thought on Ecological Civilization, steadfastly push
forward innovative, coordinated, green, open and shared development, and build an
ecological socialist country. This is the socialist path with Chinese characteristics. In
Xi’s new development concepts, innovation is the primary drive of new development,
525
generations to come. We should have a strong commitment to socialist ecological
civilization and work to develop a new model of modernization with humans developing in harmony with nature.” The CPC’s thought on ecological progress consists
of four essential parts – the Five-Sphere Integrated Plan, the basic policy of mannature harmony, the new green development concept, and the tough battle of pollution
prevention and control. He stressed, “the ‘four parts’ reflect the CPC’s grip on ecological progress, the position of ecological progress in the Party’s and nation’s cause in
the new era, and the Party’s deployments and requirements to achieve that goal.”
In May 2018, General Secretary Xi Jinping expounded important views of socialist
ecological civilization at the National Conference on Eco-environmental Protection.
“We must consciously coordinate economic and social development with ecological progress. To succeed in this endeavor in the new era, we must adhere to the
following principles. First, we must pursue harmonious co-existence between man
and nature, and prioritize conservation, protection and the restoration of nature. We
should protect the eco-environment as we protect our eyes, and cherish it as we
cherish our own lives, so that the beautiful nature and ecology will last forever in
serenity and harmony. Second, lucid waters and lush mountains are invaluable assets.
We must implement the vision of innovative, coordinated, green, open and shared
development, and accelerate the formation of spatial configurations, industrial structures, production models and lifestyles that favor resource conservation and environmental protection, so as to leave time and space for nature to recuperate. Third,
a good ecological environment is the fairest public product, and the most accessible
welfare for the people. We must pursue environmental benefits for the people with
the emphasis on solving prominent problems that threaten their health, and meet their
growing expectation for a beautiful environment. Fourth, mountains, rivers, forests,
farmlands, lakes and grasslands are a community of life. We must make an overall
plan that takes all relevant factors into consideration, and adopt multiple measures
simultaneously to advance ecological progress in all respects. Fifth, we should protect
the eco-environment with the strictest regulations and laws. We must speed up institutional innovation, strengthen implementation, and make regulations mandatory, so
that they become a powerful deterrent. Sixth, we should work together to promote
a global ecological civilization, be heavily involved in global environmental governance, help form global solutions to environmental protection and sustainable development, and play a constructive role in international cooperation on climate change.”
These are basic view of socialist ecological civilization.
The socialist ecological civilization is a scientific outlook on history. In the history
of human thoughts, socialist thoughts have gone through several periods—from
Utopian socialism in the 16th and seventeenth century to democratic socialism and
Marx’s scientific socialism in the nineteenth century, and to the current socialist
outlook on ecological civilization. The latest one is a new socialist thought, the Xi
Jinping Thought on Ecological Civilization.
We will follow the Xi Jinping Thought on Ecological Civilization, steadfastly push
forward innovative, coordinated, green, open and shared development, and build an
ecological socialist country. This is the socialist path with Chinese characteristics. In
Xi’s new development concepts, innovation is the primary drive of new development,