China Daily:
We noticed that the Ministry of Ecology and Environment has conducted the "Green Shield" nature reserve inspections with other related departments, and has looked into a batch of problems in this regard. We were also informed that China will host the 15th session of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD COP15) in 2020 in Kunming. Can you please give us details on the challenges facing China's ecological and environmental protection and the measures to be taken in the future? Thank you!
Huang Runqiu:
Friends from the media, I'd like to point out that we have been unrelentingly enhancing our efforts in ecological and environmental conservation as well as restoration since the PRC was founded 70 years ago. The remarkable achievements we have made can be highlighted in the following four aspects.
First, we have realized a historic leap in ecological and environmental protection philosophy, which means we have begun to lead, rather than follow, especially since the 18th CPC National Congress. Just as Minister Li Ganjie said, under the guidance of Xi Jinping's thinking on promoting ecological progress, we have acted on concepts such as "building an ecological civilization is of fundamental importance for the sustainable development of the Chinese nation;" "ensure harmony between man and nature;" "lucid waters and lush mountains are invaluable assets"; "a good ecology and environment are the most inclusive benefits of people's livelihood and well-being;" and "mountains, rivers, forests, farmland, lakes and grasslands are a life community." We used to learn from others and emulate them, but now, we have our own innovative and guiding precepts.
As you mentioned just now, next year we will host the CBD COP15. After consulting with the convention's secretariat and conferring with the countries involved, we've decided that the theme of the session will be "Ecological Civilization: Building a Shared Future for All Life on Earth." This fully manifests the significance of Xi Jinping's thinking on promoting ecological progress for the world, and embodies the international community's sincere acknowledgment of China's efforts and achievements in protecting its ecology and environment and building its ecological civilization.
Second, we have realized a historic change in our ecological and environmental governance system. Over the past seven decades, our ecological and environmental conservation and supervision system, once extensive, subordinate, and fragmented, has developed into a more intensive, independent, and systematic one. The establishment of the Ministry of Ecology and Environment in 2018 marked the birth of the ecological and environmental conservation and supervision system that fits our national conditions. In building the system, ecological civilization has been adopted by the Constitution of Communist Party of China and the Constitution of the People's Republic of China. Ecological red lines have been written into the Environmental Protection Law. Ecological security is now part of national security, and the ecological and environmental protection undertaking has turned more systemized, standardized and legalized.
Third, we have realized a historic leap in nature and ecology protection. We have set up 2,750 nature reserves, covering 15% of the country's land area. Including other kinds of reserves, this figure would be 18%. That's to say, we have already met the target set by the Convention on Biological Diversity, that 17% of China's land area should be nature reserves in 2020.
Fourth, we have conducted a series of important programs to better conserve natural forests, the reforesting and regrassing of cultivated land over the past 70 years. Since the 18th CPC National Congress, we have initiated a systematic conservation and restoration of the mountains, water, forests, lakes, and grasslands, and launched a campaign to "green the land." So far, forests cover about 22.96% of China's land area, a figure that was only 8% when the PRC was founded. In nearly 20 years, China has remained the largest contributor to global greening, with its newly increased areas of vegetation making up 25% of the world's total.
Our ecological security is faced with severe challenges: Forests, shrubs, grasslands, and wetlands are being encroached upon and ecological degradation still prevails in certain areas. Fraught with ecological risks, the ecological system remains fragile; the supply of quality ecological resources can barely meet people's demands; and our per capita forest and wetland coverage is only one fifth of the world average.
We will further implement Xi Jinping's thinking on promoting ecological progress, and speed up the improvement of our ecological and environmental conservation and supervision system. Never allowing the ecological red lines to be crossed, we will firmly safeguard our national ecological security, continuously strengthen supervision over nature reserves, and steadily reinforce our efforts in biodiversity conservation.
