By “gold mountains” here, it means good ecological environment or clear waters and green mountains, which have enormous invaluable assets. This sentence is concise, powerful and far-reaching. It reflects the determination and wisdom of the Chinese government and people for the protection and construction of the ecological environment. Although China is the fastest-growing large economy, it will not sacrifice the ecological environment for immediate and selfish interests. Good ecological environment will benefit our future generations, and will also effectively feedback the sustainable development of economy and society. Chinese President Xi Jinping began an inspection tour in east China’s Fujian Province on Monday. He visited an intelligent management center at the Wuyishan National Park in Nanping City to learn about progress in the protection of the ecological system. It is his first inspection tour after the country’s annual Two Sessions earlier this month.
The construction of ecological civilization is related to the sustainable development of the Chinese nation. March 22 coincides with the 29th World Water Day. The United Nations has decided that the theme of World Water Day in 2021 is “valuing water”. During the 13th Five-Year Plan period, China’s water consumption per 10000 yuan of GDP decreased by 24%. In addition, Japan’s Daily News reported on February 20 that China is speeding up the development of renewable energy. The total installed capacity of new wind turbines in 2020 was 2.7 times of that in 2019, and solar power generation increased by 80%. In just one year, China’s new renewable energy power generation equipment is equivalent to 120 nuclear power plants. In the medium and long-term development plan up to 2035, the Chinese government has shown its attitude to supporting “green technology” innovation and firm determination to take the road of renewable energy.
The construction of ecological civilization is related to global community of shared future. Although China is still a developing country with a large population and heavy development tasks, it will not give up its responsibility for the common destiny of all mankind for its own development. At the UN General Assembly in September last year, China solemnly announced that it would strive to reach the peak of carbon dioxide emissions by 2030 and achieve carbon neutrality by 2060. At another UN conference last December, China said it would increase the installed capacity of solar and wind power to 1.2 billion kilowatts by 2030. It is no easy task to achieve the above goals, with a total capacity of 410million kilowatts of wind and solar power in China by the end of 2019. In other words, China must ensure that the annual renewable energy capacity will be more than 70million kilowatts. The fact is that China’s total capacity of new installed units has reached 120million kilowatts in 2020, far beyond this figure.
The clear waters and green mountains of Afghanistan are also a treasure to be developed. The author has been to Afghanistan many times. On one hand, I am deeply saddened by the trauma of the war there. On the other hand, I am shocked and amazed for the continuous shining snowy mountains, crystal-clear lakes and other natural beauty. Without war, Afghanistan would be an inspiring country never to be forgotten. At present, Afghanistan is so close to long term peace. By then, these clear waters and green mountains will be the real gold mountains.
As its good neighbor, China firmly supports the Afghan-led and Afghan-owned reconciliation process. China is willing to share its experiences of ecological civilization construction without reservation. China welcomes Afghanistan to take the “express train” of China’s development!