Foreign diplomats applaud China's green growth

Members of German Burg Chinese Chorus and Chinese students perform at the opening ceremony of the Global Panda Partners 2024 conference in Chengdu, southwest China's Sichuan Province, Nov. 26, 2024. (Xinhua/Shen Bohan)

Strolling in the lush bamboo forest bathed in sunlight -- one of the filming spots for the Oscar-winning movie "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon," Helen Mahama could not help but take a deep breath of the fresh air.

The minister counselor of the Ghana Embassy in China was amazed after learning that the vast bamboo forest in the city of Yibin, southwest China's Sichuan Province, attracts not only tourists for its magnificent view but also a cash cow of the bamboo product manufacturing industry.

"I think that's a perfect example of China's sustainable growth," said Helen Mahama, who bought several bamboo products, such as chopsticks and a cup, as souvenirs.

Guests select cultural and creative products featuring giant panda during the Global Panda Partners 2024 conference in Chengdu, southwest China's Sichuan Province, Nov. 26, 2024. (Xinhua/Shen Bohan)

The Sichuan tour of dozens of foreign diplomats from Monday to Saturday was a side event of the Global Panda Partners 2024 (GPP) conference, an international platform for dialogue and exchange aimed at building consensus and jointly planning the construction of global ecological civilization, which was held on Tuesday in the provincial capital Chengdu.

Themed "Harmonious Coexistence Between Man and Nature," the conference brings together government agencies, professionals and the general public as panda partners, drawing over 380 attendees from more than 30 countries and regions.

During the tour, the foreign guests visited several venues highlighting China's ecological preservation and sustainable development, such as a giant panda breeding base, a bamboo forest, an ecological liquor factory that integrates the green concept throughout the entire production cycle, and the ecological park of Sanjiangkou, where the Jinsha and Minjiang rivers converge into the Yangtze River.

Jordanian Ambassador to China Hussam Al Husseini said China has plenty of areas and plans in the fields like wildlife protection, environmental protection, and reducing carbon emissions to develop a green economy.

"What we have seen is an example of how modernization and development can go together with ecological preservation and conversation," he said.

Guests watch a lion dance performed by robots during the Global Panda Partners 2024 conference in Chengdu, southwest China's Sichuan Province, Nov. 26, 2024. (Xinhua/Wang Xi)

China has consistently advanced the green and low-carbon transformation of its economy and society, made significant strides in the fight against pollution, achieved remarkable progress in ecological protection and restoration, and cultivated a societal shift toward a simpler, more sustainable, and environmentally friendly way of life, according to a think-tank report on ecological civilization construction co-authored by a national high-level think tank affiliated with Xinhua, China's state news agency, and another research institution.

As highlighted in the report released at the conference, green development has become a prominent feature of Chinese modernization.

From 2012 to 2023, China supported its average annual economic growth at more than 6 percent, with an annual energy consumption growth rate of 3 percent. Its energy consumption intensity dropped by 26.4 percent accumulatively during the same period, making China one of the countries in the world with the fastest decline in energy consumption intensity, it said.

A guest inquires information at the booth of Ya'an City during the Global Panda Partners 2024 conference in Chengdu, southwest China's Sichuan Province, Nov. 26, 2024. (Xinhua/Shen Bohan)

While learning that Yibin is also known as "the capital of power batteries," Kiribati's Ambassador to China David Teaabo said China's green development is multifaceted, and one key aspect is electric vehicles.

"China has been a leader in electric vehicles and in battery technology. China has also been leading in renewable energy sources like wind, solar, and hydropower across the country," he said.

The ambassador said the panda symbolizes friendship, biodiversity conservation, and harmony between man and nature, which have manifested the significance of holding the GPP conference.

"I think these themes should be elevated and highlighted in the global discourse. The panda as a symbol of friendship, conservation and harmony is key to what such conferences should communicate to the world," he said.