Environmental Protection in China in the Past 70 Years
43
the Earth award granted by the United Nations Environment Programme. Zhejiang
Province launched a beautiful countryside campaign and held up Anji, where a
thriving bamboo industry greatly boosted the local economy, as a model for rural
sustainable development.
Seventh, China’s ecological civilization strategy and actions have contributed to
the sustainable development of the world. In 2016, the United Nations Environment
Programme released the report Green is Gold: The Strategy and Actions of China’s
Ecological Civilization, pointing out that China’s ecological civilization strategy
and actions contributed to the sustainable development of the world by not only
addressing China’s own environmental challenges but also serving as a demonstration for other countries with similar economic, environmental and social challenges.
In 2019, the United Nations Environment Programme and UN-Habitat released A
Review of 20 Years’ Air Pollution Control in Beijing and Making Cities Sustainable Through Rehabilitating Polluted Urban Rivers: Lessons from China and Other
Countries, pointing out that Beijing’s experience in controlling air pollution and
China’s experience in restoring polluted rivers can serve as excellent examples for
other countries and cities. China is working with other countries to advance the Paris
Agreement, the Green Belt and Road Initiative and other international conventions.
3 Blueprint for Building Beautiful China
At the 19th National Congress of the CPC, the Beautiful China campaign was
launched, depicting the vision of a clean and beautiful world. The meeting also set the
following goals: China should fundamentally improve the environment, and basically
achieve the goal of the “Beautiful China” campaign by 2035, and build a prosperous,
democratic, civilized, harmonious, beautiful modern socialist country by the middle
of the twenty-first century. China’s experience in the past 70 years shows that environmental protection involves complex and changeable contexts and relationships,
and the situation across the country is very different. If actions are not coordinated
with a clear strategic goal in mind, we will be unable to produce a synergistic effect.
To achieve the goals of the Beautiful China campaign by 2035 and the mid-twentyfirst century, we must keep up with the change in the primary contradiction faced
by the Chinese society in the new era, follow the guidance of Xi Jinping Thought
on Ecological Civilization, and adhere to the basic policy of “conservation, protection, and restoration.” China should make environmental protection the top priority,
promote green development, and continuously increase the supply of high-quality
ecological products to meet the people’s growing demand for a beautiful ecological
environment. It should be visionary and systematically plan key tasks and objectives
in relation to ecological protection, environmental governance, risk prevention, and
response to climate change; coordinate for high-quality economic development and
high-level environmental protection; develop top-level designs, blueprints, schedules
and pathways for environmental protection with the main goals and milestones of the
14th and 15th Five-Year Plan periods, as well as the targets for 2035 and the 100th
43
the Earth award granted by the United Nations Environment Programme. Zhejiang
Province launched a beautiful countryside campaign and held up Anji, where a
thriving bamboo industry greatly boosted the local economy, as a model for rural
sustainable development.
Seventh, China’s ecological civilization strategy and actions have contributed to
the sustainable development of the world. In 2016, the United Nations Environment
Programme released the report Green is Gold: The Strategy and Actions of China’s
Ecological Civilization, pointing out that China’s ecological civilization strategy
and actions contributed to the sustainable development of the world by not only
addressing China’s own environmental challenges but also serving as a demonstration for other countries with similar economic, environmental and social challenges.
In 2019, the United Nations Environment Programme and UN-Habitat released A
Review of 20 Years’ Air Pollution Control in Beijing and Making Cities Sustainable Through Rehabilitating Polluted Urban Rivers: Lessons from China and Other
Countries, pointing out that Beijing’s experience in controlling air pollution and
China’s experience in restoring polluted rivers can serve as excellent examples for
other countries and cities. China is working with other countries to advance the Paris
Agreement, the Green Belt and Road Initiative and other international conventions.
3 Blueprint for Building Beautiful China
At the 19th National Congress of the CPC, the Beautiful China campaign was
launched, depicting the vision of a clean and beautiful world. The meeting also set the
following goals: China should fundamentally improve the environment, and basically
achieve the goal of the “Beautiful China” campaign by 2035, and build a prosperous,
democratic, civilized, harmonious, beautiful modern socialist country by the middle
of the twenty-first century. China’s experience in the past 70 years shows that environmental protection involves complex and changeable contexts and relationships,
and the situation across the country is very different. If actions are not coordinated
with a clear strategic goal in mind, we will be unable to produce a synergistic effect.
To achieve the goals of the Beautiful China campaign by 2035 and the mid-twentyfirst century, we must keep up with the change in the primary contradiction faced
by the Chinese society in the new era, follow the guidance of Xi Jinping Thought
on Ecological Civilization, and adhere to the basic policy of “conservation, protection, and restoration.” China should make environmental protection the top priority,
promote green development, and continuously increase the supply of high-quality
ecological products to meet the people’s growing demand for a beautiful ecological
environment. It should be visionary and systematically plan key tasks and objectives
in relation to ecological protection, environmental governance, risk prevention, and
response to climate change; coordinate for high-quality economic development and
high-level environmental protection; develop top-level designs, blueprints, schedules
and pathways for environmental protection with the main goals and milestones of the
14th and 15th Five-Year Plan periods, as well as the targets for 2035 and the 100th