National Ecological Civilization Pilot Zone …
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economy that can create a lot of jobs and improve environmental quality. It strives to
boost high-quality economic development through green development, and catch up
with advanced areas while beautifying its environment, so as to benefit the people
and realize ecological conservation and economic development at the same time. Its
specific measures include vigorously promoting the market-oriented reform of green
industries and products, actively greening industries, accelerating the green development of industrial parks, further consolidating and deepening the green utilization
of resources, and vigorously creating a favorable environment for green economy.
2. Hainan
On February 7, 1999, Hainan Daily published the “Decision of Hainan Provincial
People’s Congress on Building an Ecological Province” on the front page, marking
the official start of building Hainan into an “Ecological Province.” On March 30
of the same year, the then State Environmental Protection Administration approved
Hainan as a national ecological conservation demonstration province. In 2007, the
report to the Fifth Party Congress of Hainan clearly put forward the “Ecological
Province” strategy. In 2009, as China kicked off its national initiative of building
Hainan into an international tourism island, “building a national ecological civilization demonstration zone” became one of the six strategies supporting the initiative. In
2013, General Secretary Xi Jinping paid an inspection visit to Hainan and asked it to
“strive to create a good practice of developing socialism with Chinese characteristics
and contribute to the building of a beautiful China.” Xi also talked about ecological
conservation, and especially called for more efforts in “greening” and “protecting
the blue sky,” to set an example for the national drive of ecological conservation and
leave a sustainable “green bank” for future generations. In April 2017, the report to
the Seventh Party Congress of Hainan Province pointed out that to build Hainan into
a national ecological civilization demonstration zone, it is necessary to protect the
ecology from the source to make the mountains lusher, the water more lucid, the sky
bluer and the air fresher. Later, the Second Plenary Session of the Seventh Provincial Party Committee adopted the Decision on Further Strengthening Ecological
Conservation and Contributing to the Building of a Beautiful China, systematically
deploying efforts of ecological conservation. The Decision has become a programmatic document guiding Hainan’s vigorous promotion of ecological progress. In
April 2018, on another inspection trip to Hainan, Xi Jinping raised higher requirements for the island’s drive to develop an ecological civilization: “Hainan must firmly
establish and fully act in line with the concept that lucid waters and lush mountains
are invaluable assets. It should pioneer in reforming the system for developing an
ecological civilization, and set an example for the rest of the country.” He made
it clear that “(the central government) supports for Hainan’s building of a national
ecological civilization pilot zone, encourages Hainan to take a path of harmonious
development between man and nature, and accumulate experience for nationwide
ecological conservation.” Later Hainan was named the fourth National Ecological
Civilization Pilot Zone.
In a nutshell, over the years, especially since it became a national pilot zone in
2018, what Hainan has achieved in vigorously promoting ecological progress can be
663
economy that can create a lot of jobs and improve environmental quality. It strives to
boost high-quality economic development through green development, and catch up
with advanced areas while beautifying its environment, so as to benefit the people
and realize ecological conservation and economic development at the same time. Its
specific measures include vigorously promoting the market-oriented reform of green
industries and products, actively greening industries, accelerating the green development of industrial parks, further consolidating and deepening the green utilization
of resources, and vigorously creating a favorable environment for green economy.
2. Hainan
On February 7, 1999, Hainan Daily published the “Decision of Hainan Provincial
People’s Congress on Building an Ecological Province” on the front page, marking
the official start of building Hainan into an “Ecological Province.” On March 30
of the same year, the then State Environmental Protection Administration approved
Hainan as a national ecological conservation demonstration province. In 2007, the
report to the Fifth Party Congress of Hainan clearly put forward the “Ecological
Province” strategy. In 2009, as China kicked off its national initiative of building
Hainan into an international tourism island, “building a national ecological civilization demonstration zone” became one of the six strategies supporting the initiative. In
2013, General Secretary Xi Jinping paid an inspection visit to Hainan and asked it to
“strive to create a good practice of developing socialism with Chinese characteristics
and contribute to the building of a beautiful China.” Xi also talked about ecological
conservation, and especially called for more efforts in “greening” and “protecting
the blue sky,” to set an example for the national drive of ecological conservation and
leave a sustainable “green bank” for future generations. In April 2017, the report to
the Seventh Party Congress of Hainan Province pointed out that to build Hainan into
a national ecological civilization demonstration zone, it is necessary to protect the
ecology from the source to make the mountains lusher, the water more lucid, the sky
bluer and the air fresher. Later, the Second Plenary Session of the Seventh Provincial Party Committee adopted the Decision on Further Strengthening Ecological
Conservation and Contributing to the Building of a Beautiful China, systematically
deploying efforts of ecological conservation. The Decision has become a programmatic document guiding Hainan’s vigorous promotion of ecological progress. In
April 2018, on another inspection trip to Hainan, Xi Jinping raised higher requirements for the island’s drive to develop an ecological civilization: “Hainan must firmly
establish and fully act in line with the concept that lucid waters and lush mountains
are invaluable assets. It should pioneer in reforming the system for developing an
ecological civilization, and set an example for the rest of the country.” He made
it clear that “(the central government) supports for Hainan’s building of a national
ecological civilization pilot zone, encourages Hainan to take a path of harmonious
development between man and nature, and accumulate experience for nationwide
ecological conservation.” Later Hainan was named the fourth National Ecological
Civilization Pilot Zone.
In a nutshell, over the years, especially since it became a national pilot zone in
2018, what Hainan has achieved in vigorously promoting ecological progress can be