580
X. Zhang
The real inception of modern western civilization was not Industrial Revolution in
Britain, but the Reconnaissance, the Reformation and the Enlightenment from the
14th to the eighteenth century. This was no accident, but the law of world historical
evolution. In the whole history of human civilization, it was always the ideological,
conceptual and cultural revolution that ushered in a new era.
2. China cannot repeat the western path of governance that benefits oneself
at the expense of others
The proposition by the 18th National Congress of the CPC to resolve environmental
problems through building an ecological civilization is not just a concept. As specified
by the 19th National Congress of the CPC, it is a new governance path and a new
Chinese plan created with Chinese wisdom. The commitment to contributing to world
environmental protection also made at the 18th National Congress is not empty talk
either, but an endeavor to explore a path of environmental governance different from
the western one.
In the backdrop of technology worship, many people doubt that the Chinese
plan can contribute to world environmental protection. Up to now, both advanced
technologies and mature systems for environmental governance belong to the West.
What on earth does China have to contribute? In fact, in modern times, the biggest
challenge to resolving the environmental crisis is not the lack of technologies, but the
problematic philosophy and guideline of governance. Western developed countries
began addressing environmental problems in the 1970s. There is no doubt that they
have achieved a lot in that aspect, but their approach is not sustainable.
If we keep walking down the western road, the environmental crisis facing the
world will be a dead end. Einstein said, “We cannot solve our problems with the
same thinking that created them.” This is exactly the case with the environmental
path adopted by western developed countries—a path featuring the local governance
of environment and external governance of pollution export. In the past half century,
although these countries have worked hard on environmental protection in terms
of technology, legislation, investment and institutional innovation, these efforts are
limited and focused on the environmental front alone, without ever touching the
deep-rooted reason, namely the way of life and production characterized by high
energy intensity and high consumption. Since they haven’t found an effective way
to systematically and fundamentally resolve energy and environmental problems,
western developed countries have taken the path of pollution export leveraged on
their advantages and channels of international trade in order to defuse the energy
and environmental crisis. China has been a primary victim to such pollution export
in the past few decades. Let’s take a look at the China-US trade friction. China is
in trade surplus with the United States in terms of export-import volume, but it is in
trade deficit with the United States if we count in energy consumption and pollution.
During the China-US trade over so many years, more than half of the products
whose production is transferred from the United States to China are of high energy
consumption and high pollution, which developed countries don’t want to produce
on their own territory. As a result, we produce fair-priced products with our energy
X. Zhang
The real inception of modern western civilization was not Industrial Revolution in
Britain, but the Reconnaissance, the Reformation and the Enlightenment from the
14th to the eighteenth century. This was no accident, but the law of world historical
evolution. In the whole history of human civilization, it was always the ideological,
conceptual and cultural revolution that ushered in a new era.
2. China cannot repeat the western path of governance that benefits oneself
at the expense of others
The proposition by the 18th National Congress of the CPC to resolve environmental
problems through building an ecological civilization is not just a concept. As specified
by the 19th National Congress of the CPC, it is a new governance path and a new
Chinese plan created with Chinese wisdom. The commitment to contributing to world
environmental protection also made at the 18th National Congress is not empty talk
either, but an endeavor to explore a path of environmental governance different from
the western one.
In the backdrop of technology worship, many people doubt that the Chinese
plan can contribute to world environmental protection. Up to now, both advanced
technologies and mature systems for environmental governance belong to the West.
What on earth does China have to contribute? In fact, in modern times, the biggest
challenge to resolving the environmental crisis is not the lack of technologies, but the
problematic philosophy and guideline of governance. Western developed countries
began addressing environmental problems in the 1970s. There is no doubt that they
have achieved a lot in that aspect, but their approach is not sustainable.
If we keep walking down the western road, the environmental crisis facing the
world will be a dead end. Einstein said, “We cannot solve our problems with the
same thinking that created them.” This is exactly the case with the environmental
path adopted by western developed countries—a path featuring the local governance
of environment and external governance of pollution export. In the past half century,
although these countries have worked hard on environmental protection in terms
of technology, legislation, investment and institutional innovation, these efforts are
limited and focused on the environmental front alone, without ever touching the
deep-rooted reason, namely the way of life and production characterized by high
energy intensity and high consumption. Since they haven’t found an effective way
to systematically and fundamentally resolve energy and environmental problems,
western developed countries have taken the path of pollution export leveraged on
their advantages and channels of international trade in order to defuse the energy
and environmental crisis. China has been a primary victim to such pollution export
in the past few decades. Let’s take a look at the China-US trade friction. China is
in trade surplus with the United States in terms of export-import volume, but it is in
trade deficit with the United States if we count in energy consumption and pollution.
During the China-US trade over so many years, more than half of the products
whose production is transferred from the United States to China are of high energy
consumption and high pollution, which developed countries don’t want to produce
on their own territory. As a result, we produce fair-priced products with our energy