President Xi Jinping attends a panel discussion with his fellow deputies from Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region at the second session of the 13th National People's Congress in Beijing on March 5 (XINHUA)

President Xi Jinping emphasized efforts to maintain a strategic resolve to enhance the building of an ecological civilization and explore a new path of high-quality development which prioritizes ecological preservation and green development.

Xi made the remarks during a panel discussion with his fellow deputies from Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region at the second session of the 13th National People's Congress, China's top legislature, on March 5 in Beijing.

Ecological civilization construction and green development are part of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics in a New Era and are also an important part of the Communist Party of China’s (CPC) and the nation’s work.

Xi said since the 18th CPC National Congress in 2012, the Party’s thinking in regards to the building of an ecological civilization has been constantly enriched and improved. He said local governments should implement the Party’s thinking on ecological protection and take the country’s ecological preservation to a new level.

Ecological civilization construction is also in line with the pursuit of high-quality development which refers to innovative, coordinated, green, open and inclusive development. As China transitions from high-speed to high-quality growth, the model adopted at the start of reform and opening up that pursued economic growth at the expense of the environment is out of date.

Economic data in 2018 showed that domestic demand has become the primary engine of growth, while the service industry made a significant contribution to the economy. Local governments must not relax environmental protection efforts due to difficulties in development that come from economic transformation and upgrading.

Tackling pollution was also one of the three tough battles listed in the 2018 Government Work Report. Over the past year, China has made great progress in curbing pollution, with over 30 million tons of iron and steel capacity phased out and the average density of PM2.5, a major particle pollutant, reduced conspicuously.

This year’s Government Work Report said China plans to reduce sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxide emissions by 3 percent in 2019, while making continuous efforts to reduce the average density of PM2.5 in key locations, including the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region, the Yangtze River Delta region and the Fenhe-Weihe River Plain.

Xi urged everyone to continue to fight the battle against pollution during the panel discussion, stressing that to solve people’s pressing concerns about prominent environmental problems is crucial for improving their livelihood and strengthening ecological preservation.

Copyedited by Rebeca Toledo

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