Xiplomacy: Xi's vision on anti-pollution fight, green development

BEIJING -- President Xi Jinping highlighted on Monday the importance of consolidating anti-pollution achievements, as the nation has entered a crucial period in advancing ecological civilization in the 14th Five-Year Plan period with a focus on reducing carbon emissions.

Xi stressed targeted, scientific and law-based measures in the fight against pollution while presiding over the the 21st meeting of the central committee for deepening overall reform.

The meeting called for more efforts in advancing the nation's anti-pollution fight, and focusing closely on key areas and links related to pollution prevention and control and solving prominent ecological problems that affect people's lives.

Xi has been paying close attention to ecological and environmental issues, stressing pollution prevention and control, as well as advancing green development on many occasions.

The following are some highlights of his previous remarks in this regard.

April 20, 2021

When addressing the opening ceremony of the Boao Forum for Asia Annual Conference 2021, Xi called for efforts to strengthen cooperation on green infrastructure, green energy and green finance.

Xi also called for improving the BRI (Belt and Road Initiative) International Green Development Coalition, the Green Investment Principles for the BRI Development and other multilateral cooperation platforms "to make green a defining feature of Belt and Road cooperation."

April 16, 2021

At a video summit with French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Angela Merkel, Xi said that he always advocates building a community with a shared future for humanity and stands ready to strengthen cooperation with France and Germany on addressing climate change.

He said it is extremely challenging for China to peak carbon dioxide emissions by 2030 and achieve carbon neutrality by 2060, but China will deliver on its promise.

Xi said China has included carbon peaking and carbon neutrality in its overall plan for ecological conservation, and promoted the development of a green and low-carbon circular economy in an all-round way.

Feb 9, 2021

"We need to focus on green development and forge drivers of future-oriented cooperation," Xi noted in a keynote speech when chairing the China-Central and Eastern European Countries Summit.

Xi called on countries "to steadfastly advance international cooperation on climate change, jointly implement the Paris Agreement and contribute to the success of COP26 (the 26th session of the Conference of the Parties) of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change and COP15 (the 15th meeting of the Conference of the Parties) of the Convention on Biological Diversity, both to be held this year."

Dec 12, 2020

At the virtual Climate Ambition Summit, Xi urged the international community to pursue a new approach to climate governance that highlights green recovery and pledged China's further commitments for 2030 to tackling the global climate challenge.

Lucid waters and lush mountains are invaluable assets, Xi said, adding it is important to encourage green, low-carbon ways of life and production, and seek development opportunities and impetus from green development.

Sept 30, 2020

Speaking at the UN Summit on Biodiversity, Xi highlighted the major risks in loss of biodiversity and the degradation of the ecosystem, calling on the world to act together and urgently to advance protection and development in parallel.

"COVID-19 reminds us of the interdependence between man and Nature. It falls to all of us to act together and urgently to advance protection and development in parallel, so that we can turn Earth into a beautiful homeland for all creatures to live in harmony," Xi said.

To achieve such a goal, Xi made four proposals -- adhering to ecological civilization and increasing the drive for building a beautiful world; upholding multilateralism and building synergy for global governance on the environment; continuing with green development and increasing the potential for high-quality economic recovery after COVID-19; and strengthening the power of action to tackle challenges to the environment.