The Paper:
Xizang is known as the "roof of the world" and "water tower of Asia." I would like to ask, what are the main approaches and strategies of the autonomous region in advancing the construction of a Beautiful Xizang? Thank you.
Wang Xiaodong:
Thank you for your question. As we know, Xizang, with its blue skies, lush landscapes, clear waters, and beautiful scenery, is hailed as the "roof of the world" and "water tower of Asia." It provides a pristine environment in which local residents live and thrive.
In recent years, Xizang's ecological foundation for high-quality socioeconomic development has been further strengthened amid our drive to implement the construction of national ecological security shields. Green and low-carbon industries have been expanding, such as clean energy and the digital economy. Our cultural and tourism sectors particularly emphasize Xizang's pristine environment as their most attractive feature. For instance, the "Winter Tourism in Xizang" program has become increasingly popular, attracting visitors to experience the blue skies, white clouds, sunshine, snow-capped mountains, and lakes. While these green industries boost high-quality development, we have also created over 440,000 eco-related jobs. More than 2.2 million rural residents benefit from grassland ecological conservation and environmental protection grants. The people of Xizang are gaining increasing benefits from our ecological efforts.
Looking ahead, we will accelerate the development of a national demonstration area for ecological conservation, focusing on five key aspects: First, we will strive to demonstrate the beauty of Xizang in its green development. We will improve the development of China's geographical space, accelerating the transition towards greener development modes and lifestyles. We aim to provide the cleanest energy sources, the purest products, and the most beautiful landscapes so that more people can enjoy the high-quality living that comes with green development. Second, we will strive to improve Xizang's environmental quality. We will continue our efforts to keep the skies blue, waters clear, and lands clean, and comprehensively improve the efficiency and effectiveness of ecological governance to make Xizang even more beautiful and increase its ecological value. Third, we will focus on protecting Xizang's natural ecological landscape. We will take a holistic and systematic approach to the protection and conservation of mountain, water, forest, farmland, grassland, desert and ice ecosystems, advance the building of Qiangtang and Mount Qomolangma national parks, and create a series of beautiful countryside areas, lakes, and glaciers with distinctive plateau characteristics. Fourth, we will strive to safeguard ecological harmony in Xizang. We will coordinate the development of different green resources, actively cultivate ecological industries, and improve the protection system for ecological security to enhance the diversity, stability, and sustainability of the plateau's ecological system. Fifth, we will safeguard the beauty of Xizang through laws and governance. We will advance the legislative process for local laws on glacier resource protection, water pollution prevention and control, and the implementation of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau Ecological Protection Law. By improving systems for ecological conservation, we aim to build a beautiful Xizang through collaboration, participation, and shared benefits. We will continue our efforts to make Xizang a model for the Beautiful China Initiative. Thank you.
