Ecological Civilization Is a New Path
of Civilization Imbued with Eastern
Wisdom
Xiaode Zhang
The 18th National Congress of the CPC proposed the path of ecological civilization
for China, the first time the banner of ecological civilization was held up in the world
and marking a milestone in the twenty-first century. It demonstrates the confidence
and commitment of the CPC Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at the
core for seeking a path different from the western path of industrial civilization with
eastern wisdom to adapt to the requirements of the times.
A new era, like spring, often arrives before anyone notices it. Columbia’s discovery
of the new continent in the fifteenth century unveiled a new era when the world
was dominated by the western industrial civilization. But when Columbia landed in
America, he didn’t know it was a new continent, but believed it to be Asia till the
last minute of his life.
Things like this keep happening. At present, many people still equal ecological
civilization with environmental protection without realizing that it marks the beginning of a completely new era. When the 18th National Congress of the CPC put forth
the development of ecological civilization in the Five-Sphere Integrated Plan, it was
indeed to address the environmental crisis, but building an ecological civilization
should by no means be equaled with environmental governance. Guided by China’s
ecological wisdom of “following the course of nature” and systematic and dialectical
Marxist philosophy, the overall strategy proposed at the 18th National Congress of
the CPC is a new exploration for the new era and new civilization path that decides
the future of China and the world.
X. Zhang (B)
Department of Economics, Party School of the Central Committee of CPC (National Academy of
Governance), 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_57
575
of Civilization Imbued with Eastern
Wisdom
Xiaode Zhang
The 18th National Congress of the CPC proposed the path of ecological civilization
for China, the first time the banner of ecological civilization was held up in the world
and marking a milestone in the twenty-first century. It demonstrates the confidence
and commitment of the CPC Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at the
core for seeking a path different from the western path of industrial civilization with
eastern wisdom to adapt to the requirements of the times.
A new era, like spring, often arrives before anyone notices it. Columbia’s discovery
of the new continent in the fifteenth century unveiled a new era when the world
was dominated by the western industrial civilization. But when Columbia landed in
America, he didn’t know it was a new continent, but believed it to be Asia till the
last minute of his life.
Things like this keep happening. At present, many people still equal ecological
civilization with environmental protection without realizing that it marks the beginning of a completely new era. When the 18th National Congress of the CPC put forth
the development of ecological civilization in the Five-Sphere Integrated Plan, it was
indeed to address the environmental crisis, but building an ecological civilization
should by no means be equaled with environmental governance. Guided by China’s
ecological wisdom of “following the course of nature” and systematic and dialectical
Marxist philosophy, the overall strategy proposed at the 18th National Congress of
the CPC is a new exploration for the new era and new civilization path that decides
the future of China and the world.
X. Zhang (B)
Department of Economics, Party School of the Central Committee of CPC (National Academy of
Governance), 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_57
575